


Unbreakable

by orphan_account



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Author loves to chat in the Comments, Don't worry Sans will fall for you eventually, F/F, F/M, Family Fluff, Frisk is a Sweetheart, Frisk talks in this one, Hate to Love, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reader Is Not Chara, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader is Frisk's Real Mother!, Reader is a strong mom, Reader thinks they're a bad mom, Sans is really protective of his family, Sans really doesn't like you at first, Sexual & Physical Abuse, Slow Burn, Time to gain some monster's trust, Tori actually really likes you, When Your Ex "Boyfriend" stalks you, Your boss is a dickweed, just a little bit though, monster racism, some chapters in Sans POV, young mother
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-03-21 17:23:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 57,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13745742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: At the young age of seventeen, you didn't know what to do when you had a child. You didn't know what to do when your family disowned you and threw you out, nor what to do when you moved in with your abusive boyfriend.But when your child, merely five years old, vanishes from your life, you put a stop to it. You left behind the disgusting man that dared harm you and started anew, pulling yourself together. A new job, a new apartment, a new mindset.And with monsters coming into the world, you find yourself enjoying their company...until you spot a certain monster holding hands with a very familiar person and your entire world goes into chaos....You knew they were still alive.





	1. Show 'Em Who's Boss

**Author's Note:**

> My second attempt at an Undertale fanfic. This one is with chapters and I'm so excited and nervous to do this. Not sure why I chose this one first, but I did and this is happening. 
> 
> Join me on this journey and tell me what you think!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, bear with me while I set the scene here. I'm running around with my head chopped off right now, so don't judge too quickly. I got the outline for this story pretty much done, so we should be pretty good to go. 
> 
> Thank GOD spring break is coming up.

 You blearily opened your eyes, groaning at the blaring alarm that was coming on your left side. Turning over, you blindly searched for your phone that lay charging on your nightstand, wanting nothing more than to hit snooze and snuggle back under your covers.

 But now, you were already awake. Damnit.

  “Ugh…”

 You sluggishly got out of bed, rubbing the sleep from your eyes and stretching, slow to leave your bed. Stripping off your clothes, you stepped into the shower to wake up a bit more, then went about dressing in a grey pencil skirt and a lavender blouse. You grabbed a pair of simple nude heels and your suit jacket before going off to grab something quick from the kitchen. Maybe today he wouldn’t notice you. You certainly had gone as bland as possible today, so you hope it’ll do the trick.

 Your phone began to loudly buzz and vibrate, signaling a call. You knew who it was without even looking at the name.

  “Hello, Mr. Romaine.”

  “I hope you’re driving here now. I don’t exactly have time to waste, (y/n).” he immediately said upon answering.

 You rolled your eyes, pulling a brush through your tussled hair. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “You’re lucky you’re the best personal assistant I’ve had, otherwise I would have hung up already.” He chuckled. “I can’t wait to see you.”

 Your skin crawled at the comment. Did he really have to do this right now? God, he was your damn boss, so maybe he should act like it.

 Blatantly ignoring his previous statement, you used your head to hold your phone to your ear while attempting to tame your hair.

  “I already sent you your schedule for today that I finished last night. You should have already gotten emails responding to those two special offers from last week as well, plus your lunch should be delivered by the time I get there.” you listed off in one breath.

  “Hm…alright, guess you’re off the hook for now. Just hurry up and get here.” You hummed in agreement, then carefully assessed yourself. “…I see you must be busy.”

 He sighed again and simply hung up, which you dully noted as you went through your daily routine as quick as you could, tossing your phone into your purse. You pulled on your heels as you grabbed a bag of granola and a large cup of yogurt, then headed out the door. Hopefully you had gotten everything on the way out while trying not to trip.

 It sucked that you had a boss like Kristopher Romaine, but he was good at what he did, not to mention easy on the eyes. Now if only he would quit trying to hit on you and everything would be fine. Grow a pair and take it, you suppose. The drive there is thankfully short, with little traffic and even littler lights. The downside is the lack of parking, which takes you an extra fifteen minutes to do before having to make your way to the massive building on foot.

 Making your way into the spacious lobby of glass windows and multiple armchairs, you see Kathy is behind the front desk, her mouth moving as she speaks through her Bluetooth earpiece. The older woman was good at what she did, but she seemed too serious and intimidating for you to actually befriend her. You gave a wave in her direction anyway as you passed, which she either didn’t notice or didn’t acknowledge. Well, no need to take it personally. She was a strict woman and rather reclusive, so this was expected.

 Going to the elevator, you pressed the button and waited, taking the moment to assess yourself. You didn’t seem to be missing anything on your person, thankfully, since you had managed to grab your purse. Hair felt like it was in place and you had already double-checked your face in the rearview mirror in the car, so you seemed put together pretty well without being eye-catching. Kudos to you for racing against the clock and pulling this off at the same time.

 The elevator opened, revealing four employees that all got off and dispersed, binders and phone calls and coffee going with them. You got onto the empty elevator and pressed the top floor, your stomach clenching at the thought of eating your small breakfast and some coffee, but you knew you wouldn’t be getting anything due to your unsettling boss. He had never failed to greet you every time you came in. Ugh. Hopefully Mr.Romaine would stay in his office until after 12, but you knew that wouldn’t happen.

 The doors opened and you exited gracefully, making your way to the crowded mess that was supposed to be your desk. Your office phone was already blinking, signaling it held messages, and a new stack of papers were piled on your keyboard. Damnit, Traci.

 With dread, you maneuvered through the paper stacks with care and found where you had left off, picking up the stack. Shifting through it, you turned your computer on and waited for it to wake up. The sound of footsteps making their way towards your desk caught your attention. Looking up, you saw your boss, calmly walking up to you. Your empty stomach sank.

 Setting down your papers for now, you gave him your full attention, standing to your feet and putting a smile on your face. He stopped in front of your disaster of a desk and raised a brow as he looked you up and down, hands behind his back.

  “I didn’t think you uncapable of buttoning a blouse, but you always manage to surprise me.”

 Looking down, you saw you had clearly missed a middle button…somehow. You tried not to blush in humiliation as you hastily did the button, hoping he hadn’t been able to see your lace white bra. That was the last thing you wanted today, honestly.

  “Well, now that you’re much more presentable, how’s about you come with me to my office.” He could have just called you via the office phone, but he rarely did. “I have a few things to go over with you.”

  “Of course, sir.”

 You follow the dark-haired man, gritting your teeth as the two of you passed other offices and other employees going about their business. Kristopher Romaine had been your boss for a total of three months, going on four, and things with him have been progressively worse. The man was subtle, sure, but even you weren’t blind to his advances on you. His brown eyes had pierced you the moment you’d stepped into his office and the uncomfortable tension had only increased since your time working here. While the man was handsome, what with his sharp jawline and perfect black hair, his personality threw it all aside. For you, at least. You knew many others who would disagree.

 You came to his large, windowed office, which he opened for you. You smelled expensive cologne on him as you walked in first, ignoring his burning stare that made your skin crawl uncomfortably. The door closed, and you tensely waited as he went and took his seat, gesturing to one of the leather chairs that faced him.

  “Sit, (y/n).” That was clearly a command, not an invitation. “I need to speak with you about something rather important.”

 Huh. Rather business-like for him, getting straight to the point. You sat, back straight and hands in your lap, watching as he tapped out something on his computer, absently scratching at his short beard. He turned back to you and leaned forward onto his large desk, a serious expression on his face.

  “We have a few new employees coming in next month and I felt everyone deserved to know ahead of time and speak their mind on the matter.” Okay, so this was work-related for once. Good. “Apparently, the owner of the company decided it would be okay to openly invite _monsters_ to apply here and deemed some of them good enough to work here, so they’ll be working on our floors. As my personal assistant, I wanted to know what you felt about the matter, seeing as you would have to interact with them.”

 You didn’t see any problem with that. “That’s fine.”

 He frowned, his shoulders stiffening, reminding you of a German shepherd that was on edge. Was he really intimidated about some monsters joining the company? The realization almost made you laugh, but you restrained yourself. Best not get on his bad side, seeing as he was intimidating enough.

  “You don’t care about literal monsters walking these halls? Having our jobs and taking up space?” His tone immediately ticked you off. “That they’re going about and taking over everything?”

  “They’re just another race learning to survive up here. They aren’t much different than us, really.” you replied haughtily.

 He assessed you silently, clearly upset with your reply. After a few tense moments, he said nothing and turned back to his computer screen, obviously dismissing you. You got to your feet, thankful for the short interaction, and moved to leave the room. Your fingers touched the door handle.

  “(y/n), I hope you change your mind about these things. That sort of mindset is dangerous, you know.”

 Okay, now this was getting irritating. The jackass wasn’t exactly getting any brownie points with that attitude.

  “Mr. Romaine,” You snapped, looking over your shoulder at him. “that sort of mindset is disgusting.”

 With that, you left and didn’t look back, though you had been sorely tempted to, if only to see the look on his face. Hm, maybe this day wasn’t going to be as bad as you thought. Maybe he would leave you alone for today after that interaction.

 You nearly skipped back to your desk.


	2. A Stroll in the Park

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are. Second chapter, where things start to pick up.   
> I know it's short, but for good reason. 
> 
> Enjoy~!

 You kept up your brisk jog, your legs tingling and your lungs burning. Today had been your day off, which resulted in some much-needed jogging that you hadn’t been able to do last week. The weather was nice, with popcorn clouds and a bright sun to welcome you as you jogged around the large park.

 You slowed to a stop, taking a quick drink from your water bottle before wiping your mouth with the back of your hand and continuing onward. It was such a nice day, and everyone seemed to think so, crowding the park with their kids and friends, sharing food and laughter. It was a beautiful sight to see.

 You could see a bunch of rabbit monsters playing soccer in the grassy field with some other monsters and a few others were speckled throughout the human groups, all enjoying one another’s company. You could see plenty of human and monster children running about the massive playground, clearly enjoying themselves. No one seemed uncomfortable or disgusted (like a certain someone you knew), clearly open and friendly to each other. You couldn’t help smiling as you passed a human male and a cat monster, casually holding hands and talking. The scene was picturesque.

 You could still recall the day monsters came and popped into existence, pouring out of the distant mountain that loomed over everything for miles around. There had so much panic and confusion, with humans running or hiding, some even standing their ground and preparing to fight. But that had been put to a stop when King Asgore stepped forward and gently asked for compassion and welcoming hearts. Things took a slow, but steady turn after that.

 Monsters were just as cautious as the humans were and stayed with their own kind, keeping their distance. But as the King and the human leaders continued to converse and balance things out between the two races, things shifted into more curiosity and hesitant acceptance. You hadn’t had much of a problem with them, seeing as they were nothing but another scared race in need of open arms and kindness. You could understand the need for such things when you didn’t know what was going on.

 And now, looking around you, you couldn’t ask for much else in terms of connecting with the two races.

 You kept jogging, going around the area once more before stopping, bending over with your hands on your knees, needing to catch your breath a bit. Man, that had felt so good, but your body was already punishing you. Ugh, you hated exercise.

  “You okay there?”

 You glanced up to see the Nice Cream bunny heading your way, worry etched into his face. You had already caught your breath and stood upright, smiling at him.

  “I’m fine, just trying to keep myself in shape.”

 He grinned back in relief. “That’s good. I had thought you were about to get sick. I got worried.”

 Your heart melted at the sweet gesture. “Thank you. I’m fine, though.”

 He nodded and bid you good day before passing you by with a smile, humming a little tune under his breath. You watched him walk away for a moment before your mind questioned how someone could ever dislike monsters when they were so caring. Mr. Romaine was such a prejudice man, honestly.

 Taking another drink of water, you decided to go one more lap before heading home for a nice shower and some Netflix. Or maybe relax with a good book. Anything that didn’t include working or having forced conversation with your boss sounded wonderful. Maybe you could ask Traci to do something together.

 Taking a deep breath, you did a quick stretch of your arms and legs before going back at it, enjoying the slight burn your body was giving you. Another jogger passed you with a wave, their headphones bouncing along with their movement and you returned it before turning and going around three little girls and a strange ice monster that were playing pretend, calling out random nonsense that had you falter for a moment, your heart sinking just the tiniest bit at the sweet interaction.

 But the moment was fleeting as you shook your head and dispelled the thought, forcing yourself to press onward. It was best to not think about that right now, especially out in public. You needed to keep moving forward, no matter what.

 As you began to approach the playground, you started to slow down, allowing your heart rate to go down bit by bit. You finally stopped under a small tree, regaining your breath under the shade. You could feel the sweat that was dripping down your hot skin, blood rushing in your ears. Despite that, you couldn’t help but grin, reaching for your water bottle as you glanced over to the playground area that held so many screaming children.

 You did a double take as your heart jumped into your throat.

 Brown hair, striped shirt, a sweet face that held a beautiful smile, currently running towards a skeleton monster and energetically speaking to them.

 You felt your body freeze in place, every part of you beginning to shake. You were too deep in shock to produce tears, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to move towards them either. You soaked in the image of the joyful child, unable to tear your eyes away. You felt like every time you blinked, they wouldn’t be there, and it was all a cruel joke from your mind.

 But it wasn’t. This was real, and you could pick out that face from any crowd. You weren’t having a bittersweet dream, you weren’t crazy. They were very much alive and breathing, looking completely healthy and happy.

 Taking a step in their direction, your heart ached at the sight of the skeleton monster taking their hand and walking away, laughing about something. Your hand reached out for them subconsciously, your heart breaking all over again as they got further and further away. Your lip quivered as you choked out their name.

  “Frisk…”


	3. Remember Me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the sweet comments! They make me so giddy~
> 
> Enjoy, my dear Readers!

 You don’t realize you’re running towards them until you nearly run over a little girl, hastily apologizing without looking, wanting to keep that little face within your sights. You don’t even have time to consider what you’ll do when you reach them; your sole focus is getting to them, seeing them up close and making sure they’re real.

 As you get closer, you shout out to them.

  “ _Frisk_!”

 Both the skeleton and the child turn to you, looking a bit bewildered by you, a random stranger, running up to them. You finally manage to catch up to them, your body still shaking from the shock as you stared down at those brown eyes and innocent demeanor. Your heart ached as you took in every feature, noticing the longer brown hair and slightly chubby cheeks that had never been there before. Whoever they had been with (the skeleton, perhaps?), they were well-cared for.

 You pulled yourself out of the pity party that hung over and decided to go for a weak smile, hand reaching out to touch their shoulder. You weren’t even paying the monster any sort of attention, zoned in on this wonderful child before you.

  “Frisk…” You racked your brain to say something, anything. “I’ve missed you.”

 The responding frown hurts. It doesn’t just sting, it _stabs_.

  “Who…?” the child asks warily.

 You take a trembling breath, hunching down slowly to get to their eye level. They begin to recoil, shifting to hide behind the leg of their companion. You bite your lip to restrain yourself, to hold back the burning tears in your eyes.

  “Frisk, it’s me.” You try for a gentle tone, careful and kind. “It’s Mommy.”

 For a few tense minutes, they just stare back at you. You hold your breath as you recognize the way those expressive eyes shimmer, just like their father; they were in deep thought, those wheels in their head turning. So intelligent, so bright.

  “…Mom…?” their voice whispers.

 You nod, choking on words at hearing them say that to you once more. Oh, how you’ve missed it. You thought you’d never hear it agai-

  “you? you’re the mom?” a deep voice interrupts the moment.

 You manage to tear your eyes away from Frisk to stare up at the monster above you, prepared to snap at them. You tensed up at the furious look on the skeleton’s face, its’ wide mouth stretched in a grimace as empty eye sockets glared down at you.

  “Yes, I’m Frisk’s mother.” You stood to full height but found that the additional two inches you had weren’t doing anything to intimidate this monster. “And who might you be?”

 The skeleton stepped in front of Frisk and practically snarled at you, boney hands beginning to glow blue: magic. You almost faltered but stood your ground, holding your chin high.

  “Let me see my child.” You weren’t asking.

  “they aren’t your child and you ain’t their mom. last I checked, you were the reason they disappeared to the underground.” he (?) chuckled darkly.

 The news smacked you in the face, but you didn’t let it show. No weakness right now, even if he physically hit you.

  “Frisk is my chil-“

  “let me tell you somethin’ right now, alright? you don’t deserve to call them by their name or even refer to them as ‘your’ child. you don’t get to decide when and how you jump back into their life and if i ever see you near them again…” He paused, briefly closing his sockets. When he opened them again, his left held a flashing blue and yellow pupil. “ **Y** **o u ’ l l  b e  i n  f o** **r  a  b a d  t i m e** .”

 Gritting your teeth, you stared down this monster, who glared right back with one glowing eye that cast his face into disturbing shadows. Pushing aside the fear that ate at your stomach, you moved to go around him, intent on getting to Frisk once more.

  “ **Y o u ‘ r e  p u s h i n ‘  i t**.”

 Ignoring him, you reached out a hand to where you could see Frisk was peeking out behind the skeleton, their face now gazing up at you in clear awe. The sight broke and healed you all at once, smiling softly as you swallowed the lump in your throat.

  “Frisk, I’m so glad…so happy you’re alive. I knew you were.”

 Frisk hesitated as their eyes glanced back and forth between your hand and your face, conflicted. You hated yourself at seeing such a wary expression turned at you, but you knew that you rightly deserved it.

  “Frisk, I promise you’ll be safe and sound with me. Mommy got away, too.”

 Their brown eyes widened up at you. “…you did?”

 Nodding slightly, you leaned down. “I’ll never let you go, Frisk. I won’t allow anything to happen to you again.”

 Suddenly, the skeleton snatched up your wrist with surprising strength, yanking you away from Frisk. Looking up at him, you could see that one pupil pulsing, blue and yellow fire now licking the side of his skull.

  “ **Y o u  d o n ‘ t  d e s e r v e  F r i s k** .”

 In the literal blink of an eye, both Frisk and the skeleton vanished into thin air, leaving you staring at nothing. Surprise changed into fury as you theorized the monster had used magic to disappear, taking your child with him.

 That anger quickly melted as you realized that, due to the fact that they had simply vanished before your eyes instead of walked away, you had no clue as to where Frisk even was now. Frisk could be anywhere in town, in the state. How would you be able to find them?!

 You started to silently cry, right then and there, in the middle of a public park. For _your_ Frisk. For _your_ child.


	4. Little Reveal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys make me smile and then I wanna cry whenever I read a comment or see a Kudo! This story has barely begun and you're all so sweet~!
> 
> So, seeing as I've been stuck at the airport for about seven hours, I decided to go and write. YAY!
> 
> Enjoy~

 You end up going home in a daze, reviewing those few precious minutes on repeat. You didn’t want to ever let go of the new memories of your child, from their sweet voice to the added height they now had. They had grown so much…

 You didn’t sleep that night, at least not that you recall. You lay in bed, staring at nothing as you wondered what they were doing right now. Were they missing you? Wanting to see you again? Or were they having second thoughts about seeing their pathetic excuse of a mother? You weren’t exactly the ideal mother, but you had always put them first. They had been your entire world when they had been born and no one had known about them besides Frisk’s father.

 Ian had made sure of that.

 The next morning, you shoved yourself out of bed, completely on autopilot now. You couldn’t look at yourself in the mirror and you had trouble eating anything. When you had parked (in a decent spot for once), you sat in your car for a few moments, hands on the steering wheel and attempting to hold yourself together. You didn’t want anyone knowing about this entire situation, even Traci and especially not your boss. You had to put on a normal face and pretend like yesterday didn’t even happen.

 Getting out of the car, you numbly made your way to the building, forcing your feet to walk inside and wave to Kathy, who actually glanced up and returned it, albeit with a stoic expression. Into the elevator you went, where four other coworkers were, including Traci, who was holding a coffee in one hand and three massive files under her arm.

  “(y/n)! You’re here early.” She nudged her way over to you. “Don’t tell me you’re actually here to work.”

 Traci was a beautiful black woman, with wild maroon curls and piercing eyes, able to pull anything off in both a cute and sexy way. She was your dearest friend and was probably the only thing that could make this day worth going through. Part of you was tempted to tell her everything, but you restrained that feeling and smiled back at her.

  “Traci, you know I’m the only one who does any real work around here.”

  “Sure, Ms. Assistant. Keep telling yourself that.”

 The elevator opened to your floor and you rushed out of there, heading for your desk. Traci, whose office was on the same floor, followed after you. You weren’t surprised when she followed you all the way to your overflowing desk, absently scooting over some piles to make a seat for herself. You flopped down into your chair as she turned to you.

  “So, mind telling me why you look like you’re in need of the strongest alcoholic shot in the world this morning?” she asked, casually taking a sip of her coffee.

 You should have known she would see through your mask. Admitting defeat, you leaned forward and put your elbows on the desk, sagging your head into your hands. You heard her shift closer, putting a gentle hand on your shoulder.

  “(y/n)?”

  “Traci…there’s something I haven’t ever told anyone, not even you.” You raised your head, feeling your eyes burn with unshed tears. “But yesterday…I don’t even know what to do anymore.”

 She eyed you with worry for a few seconds before sliding off your desk and moving around to you, taking your hands in hers. She had that look in her eyes that meant business and absolute focus.

  “From the beginning. Work can wait.”

 Your felt that lump in your throat grow at the tender squeeze she gave your hands, grateful for such a friend. You opened your mouth, uncertain on where to start. From high school? The day you found out? Yesterday?

 You didn’t have a chance to start before you heard those familiar footsteps heading your way, groaning in annoyance under your breath. Traci, who instantly recognized it as well, rolled her eyes and glanced over her shoulder to look up at Mr. Romaine.

  “Good morning, little ladies! Little early to be gossiping, isn’t it?”

 Traci, ever the angelic savior, smiled widely at him, the kind that was sickeningly sweet and overdramatic. “We were just about to paint our nails and giggle about boys, too. Care to join us?”

 You felt a small smile tug at your lips at the look on Romaine’s face, obviously caught between irritated and embarrassed, before brushing aside the comment and focusing his gaze on you. Ugh.

  “(y/n), would you be able to meet me in my office in half an hour? I have a few points on the schedule that need to be addressed with my assistant.”

 You nodded. “Of course, sir.”

 He hesitated, unwilling to leave. You wished you had the Force right now, just to shove him out of your sight. You needed your friend and a few hours to vent all your worries and pain, not deal with your creeper of a boss.

 Finally, he just smiled and left, making his way back to his office, leaving the two of you in blissful silence. The two of you exchanged looks before both snickering quietly.

  “Man, does he ever stop?” she whispered to you.

  “I don’t think he has a stop button, to be honest. Not unless he wants there to be one.”

  “Well, you’d better watch it with him. I don’t trust him.”

  “He’s a harmless idiot.” you sighed.

 She just shook her head before waving a finger at you. “Anyway, back to the important stuff. What’s going on?”

  “Oh…” You bit your lip. “I, uh, I got in contact with someone in the past who…I missed a lot.”

 She looks unsatisfied with your answer. Crap.

  “That’s it? What, was it your parents?”

 The question made you wince. “No, I still don’t exist to them.”

  “Then who’s this incredibly important person that you found?”

  “…my child.” you murmur.

 Her eyes go wide. “Come again?”

 Oh boy, you were in trouble now. “My child. I found them yesterday.”

 She opens her mouth to say something (probably a long rant of why you hadn’t ever told her you had had a baby, not to mention managed to hide it from her), when you see a handsome profile storming your way. Had he been eavesdropping?!

  “Mr. Romaine!” You blurt out, standing to your feet. Traci turns, clearly still upset at you. “Did you need something else?”

 He has a neutral look on his face, but his eyes hold a storm. Uh oh.

  “Could you come to my office, please? We need to talk.”

 You would rather be smashing your face with the printing machine, but he was the boss. You nodded and touched Traci’s hand for a split second. She glanced up at you and got off your desk, now glaring at you.

  “We’ll talk later, alright?”

  “Oh yes. You’ve got some explaining to do.”

 With that, she made her exit, leaving you to walk behind Mr. Romaine and silently curse whoever decided to hire this guy. Once in his office, he shut the door and gestured for you to take a seat, which you did so slowly. What was going on in that head of his?

 He made his way into his seat, lacing his fingers together and leaning forward over the large desk. He looked every part the boss of this company, with intimidation and confidence. You put your hands in your lap and waited, refusing to fidget in front of him.

  “You have a child.” A statement.

 You flinched, then cursed yourself for doing so. “Yes.”

  “And you never informed me of this.”

 Okay, this man was your boss, _not_ your boyfriend or husband. “That’s correct.”

  “Why is Traci only hearing about this now?”

  “So you _were_ listening in on our conversation.” you said, bristling.

  “I was worried about you. You look awful compared to two days ago.”

 That didn’t give him the right to do that. The bastard was pushing his boundaries enough as it was.

  “Mr. Romaine, I am my own person and I would greatly appreciate it if you didn’t go nosing around in my business. Not to mention eavesdropping.”

 He looks taken aback, but didn’t relent, getting up from the desk to make his way over to you. You eyed his every move carefully, uncertain on what he was going to do. Why was this guy so unreadable?

  “(y/n). As your boss and friend-“ Ha, he wishes. “-I insist that you go home today. Rest, take care of things back at home. You obviously need it, because I need my personal assistant in top shape to handle everything I can’t.”

 Okay, that hadn’t been what you expected. You stared up at him, wary now. Was there an alternative motive hidden within the kind gesture?

  “But who’s going to do my job?”

  “Marcus will be able to handle things while you’re away for a bit.” He leaned down and put a hand over yours. “Come back when things have settled. Let me know if you need anything, too.”

 You stiffly smiled and got to your feet, shoving his hand off you. Even with everything you were already dealing with, he just _had_ to invade your personal space.

  “Thank you, Mr. Romaine. I’ll head out now.” You silently praised yourself for remaining professional in the midst of all this. “And thank you for this time off.”

 He winked at you. “You can thank me later.”

 Okay, **_ew_**. Time to leave.

 You nearly ran out of the office, heading straight for the elevator. There was no way you were going to stay here another second and have him make any more “subtle” hints. It wasn’t until you were in your car that you realized that you hadn’t let Traci know that your talk would have to be postponed. She was gonna be pissed.

 Taking your phone out, you sent a quick message.

**You: Hey girl, Boss let me take off for a few days and sort personal stuff out. Talk will have to wait. I’m so so so sorry, please don’t murder me in my sleep.**

 The reply was almost instant. Yeah, she was mad.

  **Traci: I’ll hold you to that conversation. Hope everything works out. Let me know if you need anything, k?**

 You smile and set your phone down, starting your car. Traci had such a big heart and you loved her for it.

 Now it was time to figure out how to find Frisk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you got introduced to Traci. What do ya think?
> 
> If anyone was interested in how I like to imagine Romaine and Traci's appearances, I have a link for each. But you don't have to follow that. Use your wonderful imaginations, my dears!
> 
> Romaine: https://kalexwalker.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/5a22fc1e7e80c99cb63e7d41a979fcc9.jpg
> 
> Traci: http://78.media.tumblr.com/80e46c4999c2995dd9d3e82b9dbbb97f/tumblr_nzpwnqiUzl1rd9mk9o7_1280.jpg


	5. Searching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a bit of a long one. Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> I'm all smiles when I read your comments and Kudos. It honestly makes my day~

 You head home, but you don’t know what to do with yourself. Should you try and find where they were, maybe start with all your social media and reach them from there? No, that skeleton seemed pretty set on keeping you from Frisk.

 You sighed, flopping onto your couch in a heap the moment you kick your shoes off. You needed to do _something_. Sitting here meant less time to find them, to see them again. Sitting here meant giving up all over again, and that wasn’t going to happen this time.

 A little lightbulb hit you upside the head, lighting a bit of hope inside of you. You jumped to your feet, stripping on your way to the bedroom, tossing clothes to the floor without a thought. A pair of leggings and a simple t-shirt later, you were running out the door and into your car. Adrenaline coursed through your veins as you got on the road, hands gripping the wheel.

 Why not start where you had first seen them? It was a plausible idea, plus it was somewhere to start this search. Not to mention you knew you wouldn’t be able to handle just sitting in front of a computer for endless hours and just poorly attempting to find any sort of information.

 Upon parking, your heart sinks a bit when you realize it’s a school day and practically no one is here. The thought of them in school, learning and growing…they must be so smart now. You’d missed far too much of their life.

 Nonetheless, you get out and get your hair out of your face, preparing yourself for this. It was highly unlikely they were out here, but that didn’t give you the right to go around to each school and stalk the playground. Starting small was best for now.

 You walked around your usual jogging routine, keeping an eye out for any brown-haired children or skeleton monsters. You did spot an extremely tall skeleton monster that was playing with a group of dogs in the grass, unable to hold back the little laugh at noticing that every dog was trying to chew at one of his bones. He was rolling around, his mouth stretched in a grin.

  “NYEHHHHHHHHH!!!! STOP THAT THIS INSTANT! THAT TICKLES!!!”

 Oh my. Perhaps you should interfere?

  “IF YOU DO NOT STOP CHEWING ON THE GREAT PAPYRUS, I WILL NOT HESITATE TO USE MY DEADLY WHISTLE!”

 You chuckled and stepped forward, ready to help the poor dear up, when he somehow managed to emit a piercing whistle from his teeth, causing the ruckus to be put to a halt. Every single dog released him and moved to let the tall monster stand, tails wagging and tongues out.

  “NYEH-HEH-HEH! I AM THE DOG MASTER!”

 He got to his feet and put his hands on his hips, flicking his red scarf over his shoulder. Jesus, this guy was tall.

  “NOW THEN! TO THE COOL MOBILE! AWAY!”

 You watched, bemused, as he ran off with his gloved fist in the air, the dogs excitedly barking and chasing after him. That was certainly a sight you hadn’t expected to see today. It almost had you forget what you were doing out here in the first place, had you not turned and spotted a little toddler waddling to their parent, thick brown hair tossed wildly by the wind.

 Right. Stick to your mission. No distractions, no sidetracking. You keep moving, smiling at the sight of a red sports car driving past you, the skeleton in the drivers’ seat and all the dogs barking happily, tongues out. But other than the few families here, Frisk wasn’t anywhere to be seen. You had no doubt they were enrolled in some school. But which one?

 With a defeated sigh, you settle onto an empty bench, leaning your elbows onto your knees and pressing the palms of your hands into your eyes. Part of you wanted to scream, to cry and sob at how unfair the world was being to you. Hadn’t you suffered enough? But this wasn’t the time and you knew better than to throw a tantrum at the world. The only problem was that you were at a loss at what to do. Go to other parks for the next few days, try and find them online somehow, start calling up schools?

 You winced at the momentary twinge of a headache, cursing yourself for stressing yourself out. More than ever, you needed a calm, clear mind. Or…maybe you just needed a good friend.

 Taking out your phone to check the time, you were glad to see that Traci was probably about done with work for the day. You knew she would want to have that Talk, but you knew that she would understand if you asked for it to be postponed a bit longer.

**You: Hey, I need a drink tonight. Gotta reschedule with that Talk, though.**

 It took a few moments for her to reply, but it made you smile in relief.

**Traci: I got you. I know this nice place we go tonight. I’ll pick you up.**

 Getting up from the bench, you headed back to your car, feeling the pinpricks of that headache threatening to grow. You were definitely going to take some meds when you got home. Then maybe you could change into something nicer before relaxing a bit until she picked you up.

* * *

 Traci alerted you she was here via text at 7, to which you couldn’t be happier. If you had had to wait any longer, you would have simply gone and bought your own alcohol. Locking the apartment door behind you, you headed downstairs and spotted Traci’s white car parked in the spot beside yours, nodding her head to her music.

 You hopped in and buckled up, to which she finally turned down the volume and looked at you, her dark eyes assessing you for something. You looked back at her with a weak smile.

  “Yeah, you need some alcohol in your system right now.” she finally said, then began backing out and driving out of the parking lot.

 You chuckled. “Is it that obvious?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “So where exactly is this place?”

  “Hybrid place for monsters and humans. It’s got some awesome bartenders and relaxing atmosphere, plus the owner of the place is pretty handsome.” You raised a brow at that last bit. “What? He rocks a vest and bowtie.”

  “Alright then, what’s his name?”

  “It’s actually the name of his establishment.” Traci giggled, glancing at you. “His name is Grillby.”

  “…Grillby.” You gave her an unamused stare. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Hey, he’s a monster, okay? Don’t you start on judging him just yet.”

  “Ah. That makes a lot more sense.” You smirked at her. “Are you going to try and grab his attention tonight?”

  “You’d better believe it, girl.”

 The two of you laughed and you eased into your seat, turning up the radio and enjoying this normality. Throughout the entire ride there, you two talked and sang along with the radio. Not once did she bring up anything about Frisk, which helped calm your mind a bit. Her company was always a welcoming one for you.

 Once you got to your destination, you were surprised at the huge number of cars that were parked up and down the streets, clearly all headed to the warm grey building that held a glowing yellow and white sign: Grillby’s.

  “Looks like we’re going to have walk a bit.” Traci sighed. “Seriously, it’s like half the city decided to come tonight.”

 It took a good fifteen minutes before you could find a spot and got out of the car, heading towards the distant building. You had to double take when realized that Traci was in a black lace top and white skinny jeans, heels clicking on the ground and hips swaying.

  “Dressed to impress, huh?”

 She fluffed the back of her afro a bit with a smirk. “You’d better believe it. Grillby better be ready for me.”

 You rolled your eyes with a smile, finally approaching the building. The door was opened by a horse monster with bulging muscles, a confident expression on his face. He gestured for the two of you to step inside.

  “Come right on in, lovely ladies.”

 Your skin tingled uncomfortably, reminding you of your shameless boss, rushing past the monster and inside the building. The place was warm, almost like a blanket had been draped over you. The lighting and décor was simple and inviting, with little tables and booths strewn about the place, with a long bar settled in the back, colorful bottles of every shape and size glittering behind a bartender made of fire.

  “Whoa…”

  “Right?” Traci stepped up beside you, hand on her hip. “This place sure is busy.”

 And she was certainly right. The place was filled, with tons of conversation and clinking utensils and glasses bouncing around you. Waiters and waitresses walked about in upscale black and white uniforms. And the mix of human and monster was simply _astonishing_.

  “Come on, we can sit over there.” Traci said, grabbing your arm and pulling you towards the bar in the back. “I wanna make sure he gets a good look at me tonight.”

 You pinpointed that she had been referring to the monster of fire that was bartending, serving a human and simultaneously pouring a drink for another customer.

  “How can he? He doesn’t have any eyes, just a pair of glasses that magically stay on his face somehow!” you hiss.

 She snorted at that and proceeded to sit down on a barstool, you following her example. She turned slightly to you and fingered a curl.

  “How do I look?”

  “Like a goddess.” you laughed.

  “Perfect.” she said, then leaned forward and gave Grillby a wave.

 He walked over after finishing up a drink, his flames flickering in an entrancing way. He fixed his glasses before putting his hands behind his back and nodding to you both.

  “How may I assist you?”

 You see Traci smirk and lean forward on the counter, refusing to be subtle. Jesus, this woman should know when to tone down her flirting game.

  “A dance would be nice, but I think I can settle for a drink first. Something hot and strong.”

 You mentally sigh. “Just give me something strong.”

 He stands there a moment _too_ long, but you can’t tell if he’s looking over your shoulder or at Traci, who looks like she’s just won the lottery. Oh boy.

  “Everything okay, Grillby?” she asks innocently.

 He coughs, composing himself. “Allow me to go fetch your drinks.”

 Traci snickers as you two watch him hurry away, then looks to you with mischievous eyes. Man, she’s just up to no good tonight. Poor Grillby.

  “This is going to be so fun.” she purrs.

 You roll your eyes. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

 She shrugs, then turns her attention back on Grillby, who is making (at least, from what you can guess) your drinks, while conversing with someone on the other end of the bar.

 Your eyes go wide when you see a bony hand wave in the air, as if asking for something. You don’t even hesitate when you see the hand move again, you just get up from your stool and make your way towards Grillby and that hand, oblivious to Traci calling after you.

 You freeze up when you finally get to see who the hand belongs to, your hands clenching into fists at your sides. Hot anger courses through you, gritting your teeth as you stare down the laid-back skeleton – _the same damn skeleton who you had seen with YOUR Frisk_ – that was laughing and talking up a storm with Grillby, like nothing was wrong.

 You stomp up to him.

  “ **Where. Are. They?** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh...


	6. Demanding Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I need to stay awake, so instead of doing homework like a good college student, I wrote another chapter for you guys!
> 
> .........I'm going to hate myself for this later, but oh well.

 The skeleton turns to you slowly, with ease and a nonchalant attitude. It only adds fuel to your anger, the temptation to meet his face with your fist growing stronger. You can feel eyes on you from all around the bar, but you’re focused on getting this monster before you to answer your damn questions.

 The little lights in his sockets that seem to serve as eyes survey you, his mouth in a wide, cocky grin. He chuckled once, then leaned against the bar counter and looked up at you. You can see him tensing, despite the laxed position he’s posed in, the lights of his eyes shrinking just a bit. You know he remembers you from the way his smile (is that permanent or something?) drops just a smidge, clearly irritated at the sight of you.

  “i’m actually not too shocked at seeing you here.” Was the first thing that came out of his mouth.

  “Excuse me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

 You feel Traci’s presence behind you now, unsure of whether or not she should interfere in this situation. You stand your ground.

  “well, with the kiddo having a crappy dad with a drinking problem, i ain’t too surprised to see you went down the same path.”

 He just blatantly insulted you in public. He labeled you as an alcoholic like Ian. He considered you completely unfit to be a mother because you had decided to step into a bar, which was funny, seeing as _he_ was in the same bar.

 You folded your arms over your chest. “Frisk’s father may be a drunken idiot, but I will never be.”

  “huh…then you really are just a coward. good to know.”

 Ignoring the heat that came to your face, you took a step closer, instantly shaking off Traci’s hand from your shoulder. You were going to find out where this monster had your child, no matter what the cost.

  “Where is Frisk?”

  “dunno.” he shrugged.

  “You’re lying. Where are they?” you pressed.

  “look, even if i did, lady, i wouldn’t dream of ever telling you. frisk is perfectly fine where they are now.”

  “But I’m their rightful guardian and birth mother. You can’t keep them from me.”

 His eyes stare you down. “You threw that all away when you decided to stay with that jackass of a baby daddy.”

 Your stomach lurches at the accusation, burning you from the inside out. Speechless now, you blink back at this skeleton and try to swallow the large lump that has grown in your throat. Traci’s soft hand gently grabs your arm and tugs you back, taking your place in staring down the smug monster.

  “Look, whatever problem you’ve gotten with (y/n) here, you’ve got with me.” She sounds calm and commanding. “You have no right to keep her only child from her.”

  “heh. ya know, you’re the reason i hate humans sometimes. think you’re all entitled to everything.”

 Your eyes burn, you feel sick to your stomach. You can feel your hands shaking but shoved down the self-disgust and fear that threatened to overcome you. Now was not the time.

  “Just let me see them again.” You don’t care if you’re begging for this. “Please.”

 He’s silent for a second, blocked by Traci so that you were unable to see his expression. Traci’s stance hardens, shifting into fighting mode that you’ve only seen a few times when some males wouldn’t take no for an answer. This doesn’t look good.

  “lady, i don’t care if you’re a god. frisk is going to be kept far from you and it’ll be stayin’ that way. quit attempting to shove yourself back into their life.”

 Traci huffs in frustration, stepping aside to let you be face to face with the monster once more. His smile has changed into a frown, clearly irritated with this conversation. You can feel it coming to a close, with no hints at where Frisk was.

  “…I know I wasn’t the best mother to them. I know they deserve better. I _know_. But things have changed…I’ve changed.” you whisper.

 Those eyes of his assess you, frown still in place. You hold your breath as those same lights suddenly disappear, leaving you to stare into empty, black sockets. The sight is unsettling, to say the least.

  “frisk is better off where they are now. i won’t ever allow them back into your custody if it’s the last thing i do.”

 Before you can open your mouth to retort, to even make a move for him, he’s gone, just like he had at the park. You blink back furious tears as you stare at the empty barstool, unable to move from your spot.

  “(y/n)…come on, let’s get out of here.” Traci quietly says.

 You feel her grab your arm and carefully guided you out of the bar, as if you were made of glass. The cool night air hits you in the face, drying the tears that had started to form. The walk back to her car is silent, a bitter taste left in your mouth. Neither of you say anything and the radio isn’t turned on this time.

 You wish you had punched him after all.

* * *

 

 When you get to your apartment, Traci stops you from getting out of the car, telling you to wait a moment. You glumly sink into the seat, wanting nothing more than to curl up in your bed and sleep away your problems.

  “Look, I don’t know the whole story, but I want you to know that I’m on your side. If anyone’s got potential as a mother, that’s you. That monster was out of line back there…not to mention three words away from loosing a few teeth.”

 You gave a weak chuckle. “Thanks, Traci…”

 She put a hand on your shoulder and you forced your head to raise to look her in the eye. She was all business again.

  “And we’re going to figure something out. You deserve to be reunited with your child and I’ll be damned if I let some bag of bones get in our way. I’ll help in any way I can, alright?”

 The words hit your heart and you lean over to pull her into a hug, which she gladly returns. What would you do without this woman?

  “Thank you so much.” You pulled away. “You’re such a wonderful friend to me.”

 She smiled. “You should expect nothing less.”

 You sniff and smile back, then get out of the car, waving at her retreating car before sighing and dragging yourself up to your apartment. Your bed was definitely calling you.


	7. Anger Turned to Joy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of you make great mothers. Hugs all around!
> 
> Try not to beat Sans up too much, though. Hold off on those pitch forks and such, k?

 Morning saw you bright and early, already sitting at your desk and hard at work. You had nothing else to use as a distraction, and even this wasn’t very good at holding your attention. Paperwork was tiring, and you had a headache coming on, which still hadn’t gone away even after taking some meds.

 You had been one of the first to have come in the building, but Kathy seemed to have beat you there. Did she ever sleep? She hadn’t seemed surprised when you walked in and just nodded at you, tucking a blonde hair back in place before going back to her work. You didn’t mind much, seeing how early it was.

 So here you were, surrounded by piles of papers and trying to concentrate. This was not how you wanted to spend your time, honestly. Traci had sent a message this morning about how you two still needed to meet up and have the Talk, which you had been dreading. Just another thing that you added to your list.

  “(y/n), you’re here early.”

 Ugh, just another thing to give to your headache. Couldn’t he just leave on a vacation? That way you could have your own vacation of sorts.

  “Hello, Mr. Romaine.” you sighed.

 He wondered up to your desk as you glanced up, taking note of the newly tailored suit he was wearing. Must he always waste his money to look better than everyone around him?

  “I believe it’s a bit early for work.” He grinned. “How about joining me for breakfast in the café down the street. It has excellent choices.”

 Really? Right now? This early in the morning? He was pushing his luck, especially today. Would it be too rash to throw all this paperwork at his face and storm out? Could anyone really blame you though?

  “Thank you for the invite, Mr. Romaine, but I have a lot of work to do, if you haven’t noticed.” You didn’t care if you were snapping at him, but he was just making this day worse. “Now, if you could please leave me to my paper.”

 The curt dismissal was not obvious enough or he ignored it.

  “Something on your mind? You seem a bit unsettled today.”

 You frowned up at him. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

  “…is it about your child?”

 That little-!

 You slammed your hands onto your keyboard and stood to your feet, slightly enjoying the way he actually took a step back from your desk. Good.

  “Mr. Romaine. I would love it if you didn’t act like my business is now yours.” You hissed. “Stay out of it.”

 He stared back at you for a moment before his face abruptly twisted into a dark glare, putting his hands behind his back.

  “Forgive me, I was out of line. I’ll be in my office.”

 You watched him go, thankful for the peace and quiet it brought. You sat back down with a heavy sigh, running a hand through your hair. Why did he have to go and just shamelessly flirt with you? Did he not understand that you weren’t interested, or did he really have that big of an ego? You would go with the latter, of course, but whatever. The guy needed a reality check.

 You began to pick up where you had left off, trying to keep your mind preoccupied again. A few people came in to work, including Traci, who temporarily came over to give you a hug and a warm pastry. Seriously, she was put on this earth just for you.

 The day goes by quite nicely, with no sight of your boss. Not to mention you got to actually get some work done. You manage to tell Traci about this morning’s incident over lunch at a little diner, to which she immediately chokes on her sweet tea and you cough on your own food. She praises you for your actions and things drag on…until you get home.

 You step inside the door, take your heels off and then go over to lay down on the couch, throwing your purse onto the coffee table. You intended to go and make something for dinner, but you needed to relax for a little bit first.

 You don’t get to relax, seeing as your phone is now ringing. Groaning, you roll over and grab your purse, rummaging around until you find the dumb thing. Who could be calling you right now? Traci?

 It’s an unknown number though, which you usually ignore. But it seems to be a local number, if the area code is anything to go by. Huh.

 You answer, putting the phone to your ear. “Hello?”

  “Um, yes, hello.” The voice on the other end is sweet and slightly hesitant. “Is this (y/n)?”

  “Speaking.” You sit up. “Who is this…?”

  “I’m Toriel. I wanted to get a hold of you for a while now, but I had some trouble finding you.” What in the world…? “I’m calling about Frisk.”

 That grasps your attention and you’re intensely listening now. Who was this mysterious woman, who seemed to know you and your child? How did they know you were even here?

  “I recently heard that you found them a few days ago, at the park, but… _something_ stopped you from seeing them.”

  “Ha. More like some _one_.” you spoke out bitterly.

 She sighed. “Yes, and I apologize for Sans’ behavior. It was completely out of line and absolutely uncalled for. He had no right to do that.”

  “You’re right, he didn’t. But he seems to think he’s suddenly God and can do and say whatever he wants.”

  “Yes, well…that’s not only why I called. I happen to be the one housing Frisk and I wish for you to come over and speak with me privately, face to face.” You suck in a breath and hold it. _She_ had your Frisk? “And I have no intention of keeping Frisk from you, (y/n). I just ask that you consider the fact that I have raised them as well.”

 You are at a loss for words now. This woman, whoever she was, had been the one to take care of your child, had been the reason behind those chubby cheeks and beautiful smile. You had rarely gotten those when you had been taking care of them.

  “I…” You’re choking up, but try to mask your pained voice with a cough. “I’m very grateful you reached out to me, Toriel. I would love to come see you tomorrow.” Your hands are shaking. “Where would you like to meet?”

  “Well, seeing as I have work tomorrow, it’ll have to be during school hours, but I don’t mind if it’s alright with you.”

 You take a deep breath and nod. “Yes, of course. Just send me the address and I’ll be there.”

  “Wonderful! Oh, and Frisk goes here as well, so you can come see them as well.”

 Your heart jumps for joy at the news. Not only do you get to meet this sweet, motherly woman who took care of Frisk, you get to see where they go to school as well? She truly sounds like the perfect mother.

  “Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Toriel.” You don’t even care that you sound like you’re about to cry. “Thank you so much for calling.”

  “No need to thank me. Good night, (y/n).” she responds warmly, then hangs up.

 The moment she does, the phone slips from your hand as you cover your face and fight back tears, your mouth stretched in a shaky smile.

 You were going to see Frisk and tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.


	8. Opening Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here we go. This one has mentions of abuse, just so you know.
> 
> Love you guys!

 You almost don’t fall asleep, seeing as your heart hasn’t stopped banging against your eardrums, but you manage to grab some hours before your body wakes of its own accord. You practically jump out of bed, pulling out multiple articles of clothing and scoffing at each of them. You were going to be meeting the woman who cared for your child, so you had to look at least somewhat presentable, right?

 Finally, you settle on a pair of comfortable jeans and a nice blouse, fixing your hair and making sure everything is in order. Your phone dings, alerting you of a text. That must be the address Toriel had said she would send you. You move quickly in order to get out the door, your stomach in knots. Looks like you were skipping breakfast today.

 In your car and down the road you went, hastily checking your phone for the school’s address. You have to actually check it twice at a red light to make sure, because that certainly can’t be right. This was an elementary school mainly for _monsters_. Not that that was a bad thing, just a bit surprising. Frisk probably had a lot of monster friends, then. The thought had you grinning from ear to ear…and got you honked at for not paying attention to the now green light. Oops.

 The school is a few hours away, but you make it just in time to see all the little ones lining up to go inside for class. So many monsters, with a mixture of human children, had you smiling softly. This looked like such a kind place.

 The school office is easy to find, and you walk inside, greeted by an alligator and a purple cat, both who waved and proceeded to get up simultaneously and begin bombarding you with questions.

  “Hi there, I’m Bratty! What’s your name?”

  “I’m Catty! What brand is that shirt?”

  “Oh, is there something you need?”

  “Are you here to enroll your child?”

  “Did you come here to be a teacher?”

  “Would you like a tour or something?”

 Okay, your head was already spinning, and you were wondering if they knew what breathing was. Were they even going to stop and let you answer any of these questions? Before you can try to put this interrogation to a halt, a lovely goat monster opens a door to (what you can assume) an office, clad in a lavender shirt and black pencil skirt. She smiles at you, looking apologetic.

  “Bratty, Catty.” The two turn to her, instantly silenced. “She’s here to see me. Come (y/n), we can speak privately in my office.”

 You recognize that voice…from yesterday on the phone! Toriel, wasn’t it? You hadn’t expected the savior of your child to be a monster herself, but you certainly didn’t mind. Nodding, you walk into the room and found yourself standing in a cozy office, with an organized desk and a large bookshelf and filing cabinet pressed side-by-side. You could smell something sweet in the air. Her perfume, maybe?

  “I’m glad to finally have a face to the woman who gave birth to sweet Frisk.” She shut the door and you faced each other. “As you must already know, my name is Toriel. I’m the principal of this school, if you haven’t already guessed.”

  “I…I’m a bit surprised, to be honest. I hadn’t expected for you to be a monster.”

 She frowns slightly, looking hurt. “Do you not like monsters?”

  “Oh! No, I’m completely fine with monsters! I just never expected monsters to be the one to care for my child.”

 Her expression softens. “I see. Well, I reassure you I have done everything to make sure Frisk was well-cared for.”

  “I don’t doubt that.” you smiled.

 She returns it and gestures to the chair facing her desk, moving to sit in her own. You do so, trying not to appear too eager. You were here to see this kind monster too, not just Frisk.

  “I’m very glad you came, (y/n). When Frisk told me about what had happened, I was…shocked and slightly appalled by Sans’ actions and words. He isn’t as bad as you think. He’s just very…protective.”

  “So am I.” you reply.

  “That I can easily believe.” Her eyes drift down a bit. “Your SOUL is just as beautiful as Frisk. It was how I could identify you as their mother, actually.”

 You blink back in confusion, glancing down at your shirt. Your SOUL? She could see it?

  “My dear, your SOUL is as red as can be. It almost burns with solid DETERMINATION. Just like Frisk.” she explained.

  “…huh. I never knew that Frisk took after me in that way.”

  “Well, they certainly do. But they must take after their father in their looks, don’t they?”

 You stiffen at the innocent inquiring. You couldn’t blame her for wanting to know, but you hated talking about the _true_ monster in your life. But…Ian was of the past now and you had healed over time.

 You took a deep breath. “Yes, they do.”

  “Oh my. Is the father not in the picture anymore? I sincerely apologize, I didn’t mean t- “

  “It’s fine, Toriel, you didn’t know.”

  “I…would it be too much to ask a few personal questions, then?”

  “That’s alright. Please, feel free to.”

 She bit her lip and you mentally prepared for anything. It took a moment before she finally decided on what to ask first.

  “Why is the father no longer…?”

  “With me? Because he was an abusive, disgusting excuse of a man. And I…I was too stupid for sticking around as long as I did, but I was rather young when I had Frisk and didn’t know any better.”

  “Oh…may I know more?” she asked quietly.

  “…would you like to know the full story?” She wordlessly nods after a tense second, clearly hesitant. “Well…I was seventeen when I met him. His name was Ian and he seemed…amazing. So mature and oozing ‘bad boy’ from every pore. My young mind didn’t even consider he was wearing a mask and I practically jumped into his arms.

  “It didn’t take long for me to get pregnant once I met him. Once that happened, all hell broke loose. My parents found out and they…” This part still hurt to say, but you pushed through. “They didn’t even pause or hear me out, they simply disowned me and then kicked me out.”

  “My word…” Toriel gasped.

  “After that, I was at a loss and ran to Ian; it was the worst mistake I’ve ever made. The second I moved in, the real Ian came out and revealed himself. And it wasn’t…wasn’t pretty.” You sighed and briefly shut your eyes. “He was a horrid man, with an alcoholic problem and a huge temper to match. Throughout my pregnancy, he would only drink, work or threaten me. And it only got worse after I had Frisk.

  “When Frisk came out into the world, he got angrier…somehow. He was violent and crude, constantly hurting me. He tried to hurt Frisk multiple times, but I refused to allow anything to happen to them.”

 Her eyes are welling with tears. “You poor dear.”

  “And then, one day, he managed to get his hands on them while I had gone out for food. When I had returned, I found my little toddler sobbing on the floor, bleeding and bruised. And Ian was just screaming for them to shut up and I couldn’t take it after that. I snapped, and we got into the worst fight we’ve ever had. He ended up choking me and I told Frisk to run. I wanted them to leave that horrible place and get somewhere safe.”

  “…that explains how they came to us, then.” she whispered.

 You looked at her as she wiped some tears away, sniffling. Your heart swelled at how upset she was for you, for a stranger she barely knew. Monsters were too good for this world.

  “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to interrupt. Continue.”

  “It’s alright. After Frisk ran, there’s not much else that happened. A week went by without any sign of them, and when I went to the police each time, they refused to help me. Countless neighbors had reported Ian and I for ‘disturbing the peace’ and the police just saw me as a pathetic mother who couldn’t keep track of my own child.” You clenched your hands into fists. “And after a full week went by, I had an epiphany of sorts: I didn’t need to sit around and allow Ian to control or hurt me anymore. Frisk was the only reason I ever stayed in the first place…”

  “I’m not sure I understand.” Toriel said.

  “He had a job, had money, had a roof. I knew I wouldn’t be able to take care of Frisk on my own, especially at my age. If my parents hadn’t disowned me, this would have been a much different story…but I had no friends or family to go to. There was only Ian.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  “Yes, well…I left him with no warning after Frisk had been missing for a full week. I got a job, got a place, tried to search for my child.”

  “A private investigator?” she asked.

 You shook your head. “Those were either too expensive or too booked. And I had no way of finding them…so I had to stop and just pray they were okay. It was a hard thing to accept for quite a long time.”

 Toriel’s eyes were wide in horror at the story, her furry paws shaking. She looked away, trying to process the bomb you had just dropped in her lap. You waited while she composed herself, trying to relax your pounding heart. You had never told anyone the entire story before. Now, it was out in the open and laid out for this motherly monster.

  “(y/n)…I am so sorry you had to endure so much.” She reached out her paws and you slowly put your hands into them. She held them gently, looking into your eyes. “And all at such a young age…I wish there was some way I could have been of help back then.”

  “Monsters hadn’t come to the surface yet.”

  “I know…” She squeezed your hands. “I’m just glad both you and Frisk are away from that man. You two are so strong.”

 The words are genuine and bittersweet, hitting you right in the heart. You had just met this monster and she already felt like a dear friend. She hadn’t judged or turned you away but welcomed you and shared your pain. It warmed you from the inside out.

  “Thank you, Toriel. For willingly taking Frisk into your home and for caring for them so well. If there’s some way I can repay yo- “

  “Oh no. No, there’s no need.” She stood up and came around the desk to pull you up from your chair, wrapping you up in a warm hug. “Frisk has been a blessing like no other. And now I have you to add to my family.”

 You freeze at that last word, sucking in a breath. She already considered you as a part of the family? She was going to welcome you, even after admitting you had failed to be a proper mother? You can’t hold back the tears after that and bury your face into her fur, beginning to sob.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tissues anyone...?


	9. Invitation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! I'm sick, I have nothing better to do. Let's write another chapter~

 You finally pull away, wiping away the mess that was now your face. Toriel chuckles and does the same to her wet fur under her kind eyes, sniffing.

  “Thank you, Toriel.”

  “No need to, my dear.” She put her hands on your arms and smiled. “Let me show you to the bathroom to clean up. Then I can show you around the school.”

 You perked up at that. “Will we see Frisk in their classroom?”

  “Well, we’ll take a peek inside, but I don’t want to intrude on class time.”

  “Oh…” Understandable, but still disappointing. “Right, of course.”

 She laughs, looping her arm with yours and guiding you out of the office and outside. Bratty and Catty excitedly waved to you both on the way out.

  “(y/n), I have no intention of keeping _your_ child from you. In fact, quite the opposite.” She gestured to a door that had a large purple insignia painted on it. “The bathroom’s right here. I’ll wait out here.”

 You nodded and walked in, going over to a sink and wincing once you faced your reflection. Geez, your face was all kinds of gross now. So much for good first impressions.

 Sighing, you turned the sink on and tried to fix the damage, rearranging your clothes and hair as well. You were still a bit unsteady from the conversation you’d just had with this woman, something that you had been so afraid of speaking aloud. Something you had just blurted out to a stranger.

  _A stranger that now saw you as family_ , your brain reminded you. You felt lighter at the word, at the possibility of having someone you could finally turn to. Traci was a wonderful friend, but even you knew better than to throw every little problem of yours her way. Family was what you needed.

 You gazed back up into the mirror, unable to stop the smile that kicked into gear. First, you had Frisk again, without any struggle. Now, you had Toriel to add as family. What next, you find a sexy man to date, too? Ha, wishful thinking.

 You exited the bathroom and Toriel eagerly took your hand and proceeded to guide you throughout the school, showing everything they had to offer. The cafeteria, the playground, the library. You were quite amazed that they had managed to make such a lovely place for monsters, but the entirety of it was so nice.

  “And this here is where Frisk is.” She put a finger to her lips. “Stay quiet, but look in the window and see.”

 Heart in your throat, you stared through the sliver of a window that was in the door, looking for that brown hair and sparkling eyes, learning and growing. And there they were, sitting in the second row, leaned forward and completely concentrated on whatever it was the teacher was saying. The sight was so wonderful, but you could feel a twinge of jealousy and guilt as you forced yourself to back away from the view.

  “You’ve truly done so much for them, Toriel. I could never have given them this. Any of this.”

  “Now, don’t you start. You and Frisk have been through a lot and you’re both free and in better shape than ever before.” She winked. “Us mothers still got it in us, you know.”

 You smiled. “Maybe you do.”

 She just shook her head, then nodded to the classroom door. “Frisk has done so well. They’ve been absorbing things at an alarming rate and I expect they’ll be kicked up another grade soon.”

  “…Toriel, I want to be a part of their life again. Birthdays, homework, dinners. I know that you took them in and they may not see me as anything else but the woman who gave birth to them, but…I want to make things right. I want to watch my child grow up.”

 She pulled you away from the door. “(y/n), I already said that I have no intention of keeping you two apart. I have adopted them, but there is no doubt in my mind that they miss you.”

  “But – “

  “How about this? You join us for dinner. Tomorrow night. I’ll invite all our friends over and you can meet them. It’ll be a simple welcome party into the family.”

  “Really…?”

  “Of course. What better way to meet everyone and get comfortable with us?”

 You took a deep breath. Could you really just waltz right in and do that? No strings attached, nothing you had to read between the lines? Toriel seemed to sense your distress and gave you a brief hug. You sighed, returning it.

  “Sorry, I just…this is rather sudden, and I’m still not used to hearing about family and thinking about it in a positive light.”

  “That’s why I want you to come. To get used to the idea, or at least warm up to it. And you have all that time to get closer with Frisk, too.” That sounded like a dream come true. “That sound like a good plan?”

  “Yes! I would love to.” You paused. “One question, though.”

  “Yes?”

  “What should I bring for tomorrow?”

* * *

 

  “And she just invited you over? Just like that?” Traci’s voice sounded skeptical over the phone. “Man, aren’t you lucky?”

 You, having arrived at home and been munching on a bag of chips for the past fifteen minutes, groaned and set the bag on the coffee table.

  “Traci, this is nerve-wracking, okay? I’m going to be having dinner with my child that’s been missing, the woman who took care of them and a bunch of other strangers! I can’t screw this up!”

  “And you won’t, so stop overthinking this. You’re gonna go there, meet new people, have some good food and enjoy yourself. This is literally a gift sent from heaven and you shouldn’t waste it by freaking out about it.”

  “You’re right, as always.” You lay down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. “I really hope this goes well, though. I don’t think I could handle being separated from Frisk a second time.”

  “Okay, you need to take a bubble bath or something. Drink a glass of wine, go get laid, I don’t know.”

  “Traci!”

  “What?” she replied innocently.

  “Okay, you’re insane and I’m going to bed. Good night.”

  “Night. Fill me in soon?”

 Crap, you still needed to have that Talk with her.

  “Yeah. Night.”


	10. Reconsidering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, I feel ten times better and I'm ready to roll! 
> 
> Read away, my dears~

 You’re a mix between a nervous wreck and an excited kid on Christmas the next day, walking into work and sitting at your desk with the intention to keep your mind from straying to tonight. You had calls to make and a list to complete that Mr. Romaine had sent you last night, so that was something you gladly shoved your attention on.

 Traci came in not much later, working a professional white dress that hugged her curves, all smiles. Oh boy.

  “You’re happy this morning.” you stated aloud as she came up to you.

  “That is because _I_ ,” She handed you a hot cup of coffee. “Have every right to be. My bestie, finally reuniting with their kid? Not to mention this new monster family you’ve got going on? You’re set for life.”

 You laughed, taking a sip. “You’re ridiculous. They may not even like me, you know.”

  “Oh yeah, because you’re just _sooo_ unlikeable.” She rolled her eyes. “Girl, you seriously need to relax about that. Even if the others don’t like you, your kid is the one you should be focused on.”

  “Traci, Frisk is the most terrifying part. If they don’t want me in their life, they have every right to keep me out.”

 Traci was silent for a moment while you bit your lip and tried to swallow down the bubble of fear. She sighed and moved over to lean against your desk in front of your chair.

  “I still don’t know the full story, but this is your kid. And you’re kicking and screaming to see them again, so I doubt you have anything to worry about. If they’re yours, they probably have the biggest heart anyone’s ever seen.” She tilted her head to the side in thought. “Speaking of, what are you and this Toriel gonna do about custody?”

 You sighed, leaning back in your chair. “I’ve been thinking about it…but I don’t exactly know what to do about it.”

  “(y/n), this is your little baby we’re talking about. The one you gave birth to. You should be given full custody of them.” she deadpanned.

  “But Toriel has been the one to take care of them, who became their real mother. I have no way of just using that title in hopes of getting them back to me.”

  “…you and Toriel need to talk about that at some point. If _your_ child wants to be with their real mother, then Toriel or any of those other monsters shouldn’t try and stop them.”

  “Well, that depends on whether or not Frisk actually wants to see me as their mother again.” You said with finality, turning to your computer. “I can’t just scoop up Frisk and not think about the others that have influenced their life so drastically, Traci. I need to remember that Frisk has more family to consider now.”

 You could feel Traci staring at you as you typed out some emails for some of your boss’ clients, trying not to wince.

  “Sometimes, you’re too nice.” She muttered. “But I guess that’s why everyone likes you.”

  “Very funny. Go do your job, missy.”

 She snorted and began to walk away. “Yes, mother.”

 You laughed and shook your head, getting back into a working mindset. Traci had certainly put a lot to the forefront of your mind, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to contemplate it right now. You didn’t think a headache would be very fun this early in the morning.

 Unexpectedly, your desk phone rang, a blue light blinking to indicate where it was coming from: your boss’ office. What in the world? He never called you via phone. Suspicious, you glanced around before slowly picking it up and holding it to your ear.

  “Yes, Mr. Romaine?”

  “My office.” And hung up.

 The hell? You frowned, looking at the phone in disbelief before setting it back into its’ cradle and getting up from your desk. What the heck was that all about?

 Walking to his office, you passed by Traci’s, who smiled for a second before giving a look that questioned what was going. Shrugging in reply, you kept walking until you made it to his door, knocking lightly.

  “Come in.” You did so, but barely stepped inside before he commanded, “Close the door behind you.”

 You shut the door and turned to face a very unsettling expression, one that you’d seen before. One that spelled out disaster. He was leaning on his desk, eyes glued to you in an unsettling stare.

  “Sit.” You would rather not but forced yourself to do so anyway. “Let’s talk, friend to friend here.”

 This guy was never going to get that you weren’t friends. You mentally sighed and simply nodded to him, already getting irritated before he spoke. This man definitely knew how to rub you the wrong way.

  “I came in and couldn’t help overhearing a few things when I passed your desk.” You stiffened in your chair. He’d been eavesdropping again, the little sneak. “You mentioned something about monsters, correct?”

  “Yes.” you replied, trying to not snarl at him.

  “And it seems that your child is involved with them, from what I’ve heard.” His brow twitched. “I do believe it would be best if you or your child tried not to associate with them. If you need any help getting your child from them, I’m sure I can pull some strings to make sure they don’t try and keep them from you. They can be quite territorial.”

 You wondered if he’d ever tried having a normal conversation with a monster. You highly doubted this man would ever get off his high horse to do so, but whatever.

  “(y/n), please understand that I’m looking out for you and your child. I don’t want to see you stumble because of these things.”

 Things? Did he really just refer to monsters as ‘things’?! Okay, time to interfere again.

  “Mr. Romaine, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk about my family like that. Or any monster, really. They’re far from mere things and perhaps you’d find that out if you actually tried treating them like people instead of disgusting objects.” He opened his mouth, but you quickly got to your feet. “If this is what you really called me in here for, then I suggest you reconsider your prejudice and try to stick to your work instead.”

 The look on his face almost made you smirk, but you kept your composure until you had left the office. Once you walked away, you were able to breathe again, allowing yourself to relax. This had been the third or fourth time he’d managed to irritate you with his insistent racist remarks and they were starting to get old real fast.

  “(y/n)!” You stopped walking and turned to see Traci rushing over to you. “What was that all about? You look ready to shove a heel into someone’s socket.”

  “He called me in to basically admit he’d been eavesdropping on us again.” Her expression turned dark. “Exactly. Not to mention he’s still stuck on some…racist opinion on monsters and it’s just getting more annoying each time he opens his mouth.”

 Her lovely face broke out into a grin. “Oh my gosh, I can just imagine his face right now.”

 You both couldn’t help but laugh after that.


	11. Little Surprises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I've been waiting to write out this chapter. Not sure why, but I guess I just wanted to.
> 
> Short, but worth it~
> 
> Here you go, my dears!

 You nearly rip off the eighth dress and toss into onto your bed, ready to rip your hair out. What the hell do you even wear to a monster dinner party? Formal, causal? Did they even care about events like this to begin with? Crap, maybe you should have asked Toriel at the school when you had the chance. What now?

  “Traci. Traci knows everything.” You scrambled for your charging phone and dialed her number, turning it on speaker. She picked up and you bent over the phone. “S. O. S. Wardrobe malfunction over here.”

  “Oh gosh.” She laughed. “Alright, breathe. I got you.”

  “Traci, I have tried on half my closet and have found nothing. And I refuse to go naked to this dinner.”

  “Okay. Grab those nice black jeggings.” You searched for it and snatched it up. “Then the red shirt with the ruffles and black lace. There ya go.”

 You stared at the combo for a moment, then sighed in relief. One less thing to worry about…but you didn’t just call for clothing advice.

  “Traci, what if this ends in disaster? I won’t ever forgive myself if Frisk pushes me away.”

  “(y/n). Stop worrying. Frisk isn’t a heartless kid. They’re going to enjoy being with you again and you’re going to love having a family.”

 She was right. You knew she was right. But that didn’t stop your stomach to churn nervously at the ‘what if’ aspect of things.

  “Thanks…I just want this dinner to go well.”

  “You’ve got this, hot Mama.”

 You rolled your eyes. “Oh hush.”

  “Now go get ready. And don't forget to have fun. Tell me how it goes, alright?”

  “Roger that.”

 She hung up with a chuckle and you slipped on your chosen outfit, picking out a pair of heeled boots and some simple jewelry. You checked yourself in the mirror and felt some satisfaction at the lovely woman that looked back at you.

 Now for that dish you said you’d prepare and bring. You still had a few hours before you had to leave, so it was best to get this going now. Let’s hope you don’t spill anything on your clothes.

 …let’s hope you didn’t jinx it.

 You grab an apron and put it on, setting out ingredients and pausing in your prepping to turn some music on. Let’s get this show on the road.

* * *

 

 You had wrapped up the dish carefully, double-checking yourself in the mirror to make sure everything was still in place. Hair fluff, touch up here and there, fix your necklace. Okay.

  _Ding!_

 Someone was texting you? You pulled your phone from your pocket and the screen lit up to show a mess-

  _Ding!_

 Okay, make that two messages. From your boss. Great. Maybe you should just ignore them, but it could be important work-like texts…hopefully. You hesitated, but finally opened the messages. You grimaced and instantly regretted doing so.

  **Boss: You should wear that purple dress. It looks lovely with your skin.**

 Um, why was he telling you this?

  **Boss: I hope you could join me for dinner sometime. Humans are fun to hang out with too, you know.**

 You bristled at the last bit. Humans were fun, yes, but not creepy humans like him. Did he not realize this, or did he just not care?

 You decided to not even bother responding and stuck the phone back in your pocket, grabbing your purse and the dish, then went out the door and down to your car.

  _Ding!_

 Seriously? You groaned in frustration and got into your car, sticking your purse and the dish on the passenger seat. You checked your phone again, unsurprised that it was another text from your boss. Was he really going to do this right now?

  **Boss: Maybe we could try for that café instead.**

 Could he shut up now? Hoping he wouldn’t text you again, you switched to your Maps app and started your car, taking a deep breath before backing out and driving towards your destination.

* * *

 

 It turned out that Toriel lived exactly forty-five minutes away from you, her home set in a little cul-de-sac. Her two-story house was well-kept and inviting. You parked your car and stared at it for a moment, heart pounding. Frisk was here, right inside that house. You were about to meet your new family members and you had no idea who any of them were. Maybe this dinner was a little too soon?

  “COME ON, PUNK! YOU THINK THAT’LL BE ENOUGH TO TAKE ME DOWN?”

 Uhhhhh, what?

  “UNDYNE, YOU MUST WAIT FOR FRISK’S MOM FIRST! SHE MUST TRY MY DISH BEFORE ANYONE ELSE! IT’S TRADITION!”

  "YOU DON'T HAVE A TRADITION, PAPS! GET OVER HERE!"

 You got out of your car, grabbing your purse and the food, juggling them for a moment before assembling yourself and managing to lock the car. You admired the flowerbeds and well-kept lawn as you walked up to the door, allowing yourself to relax a bit. They seemed a bit eccentric, but rather fun. This might work out after all.

 You smiled as you knocked on the door, waiting patiently. The door opened a few seconds later and you opened your mouth to greet Toriel.

 Your eyes met dark eye sockets and little lights for eyes and you both froze. It was the same skeleton from before, the one from the park and the bar, the jerk who had threatened you. You narrowed your eyes at him.

  “You-“

 He proceeded to loudly slam the door in your face, leaving you flabbergasted.

 What the hell?!


	12. Introductions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, you guys are certainly gonna take some time warming up to Sans, too, huh?
> 
> Heads up, this chapter is not gonna make it easier anytime soon.
> 
> I love you guys and your wonderful comments~

 Oh. **Hell no.**

 You managed to catch yourself from bashing the door in, politely knocking instead. You can not _believe_ that horrid monster had the audacity to close the door in your face like that and you had a few choice words to say to him. What was he even doing here?

 The door opened again, this time revealing a different and rather familiar skeleton that took up the entire doorway. He grinned at you and put his hand on his hip, looking pleased with himself (it was a _he_ , right?).

  “FRISK’S MOM, IT IS WONDROUS TO FINALLY MEET YOU!” You internally cringe at the volume but stop yourself and put on a smile instead. “I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO MEET THE GREAT MOTHER OF MY FRIEND!”

 You flush at the unexpected compliment. “Thank you…um…”

  “OH, FORGIVE ME! I AM THE GREATLY AMAZING PAPYRUS!”

 It suddenly clicked.

  “You’re that skeleton from the park that day! You were walking a bunch of dogs.” you giggled.

 The lights he had for eyes grew bigger and brighter, beginning to bounce on the balls of his feet. He spun around.

  “FRISK’S MOM REMEMBERS ME!”

 You watched as he ran further into the house, leaving you standing in front of the open door. Should you go inside or…?

  “YOU!” A fish monster jumped up behind you as you were shutting the door, scaring the crap out of you. “It’s about time you got here!”

  “…I’m early.”

  “Don’t sass me!”

 You stared at her for a second, taking in the wild, red ponytail, the blue scales, the eyepatch over her left eye. She glared back at you, to which you then held out the dish to her. She looked slightly taken aback.

  “Where can I put this?”

 Papyrus popped into the entryway, obviously still ecstatic from your comment from earlier. He gasped at the sight of the dish and pointed at it.

  “IS THAT FOOD YOU MADE?! FRISK’S MOM, I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE A CHEF, TOO!”

  “You can call me (y/n), Papyrus.”

  “MAY I TAKE IT TO THE KITCHEN? TORIEL IS UPSTAIRS GETTING READY!”

 You smiled and nodded, to which he proceeded to snatch up the dish and rush off once more. He seemed to do everything with boundless energy, didn’t he?

  “We just found out you were coming, so Paps has been real excited to meet you.” the fish monster spoke up.

  “Oh! I didn’t know I was a surprise guest.”

  “Meh. Tori likes surprises.” she said with a shrug.

  “Where’s Frisk?” you asked, holding your breath.

  “Upstairs with her. They’re, uh- “

  “Mom…?” a familiar voice speaks up.

 Your feet carry you past the fish and into the adjoining room, where a flight of stairs sit. Standing at the middle of those stairs is your child, staring at you. You stayed at the foot of the stairs and took in the sight of them.

  “Frisk…”

 Their face broke out into a wide grin and they stumbled down the stairs in a rush, jumping towards you at the last few steps. You caught them and spun them around, trying to calm your racing heart as you held them close. Oh god, this feeling…you thought you’d never have them in your arms again.

 You almost don’t realize you’re crying and laughing, but they start comforting you and muttering something under their breath and your walls break down. Your cheek is pressed to their face, tears falling onto their skin. Or are they crying too? You can’t tell because everything is blurry and wonderful, and you’re overjoyed.

  “(y/n), welcome home.” You pull away a bit to look up at Toriel, who steps forward and wraps both you and Frisk in a warm, furry hug. “Make yourself at home here, alright? I’m almost finished with dinner.”

 She left the two of you alone, ushering everyone else to another part of the house to give you both space. It was quiet for a bit, with just sniffles from you and small hiccups coming from Frisk. You pulled out of the hug a little and smiled at them, giggling at the sight of them trying to wipe away any evidence of their tears.

  “I can’t believe you’re in my arms again.” You shifted them on your hip. “You’ve gotten so much bigger.”

  “Mommm…”

 You chuckled, nuzzling your nose against their cheek. “Sorry, Mommy is just bein’ a dork. Why don’t you introduce me to your friends, hm?”

 You set them down, but they grab hold of your hand, your heart jolting at the gesture. Their hands used to be so tiny, where your hand would engulf theirs. Not anymore.

 They guided you through the entryway and into the next room, the living room, where everyone was comfortably sitting and conversing. Your feet stopped moving as you took in your new family members: tall, lanky Papyrus, the fish woman, a yellow reptile with large glasses, Mettaton (?!) and that despicable Sans guy. Then they all seemed to notice you two had walked into the room and all conversation slowed to a halt.

  “Papyrus.” Frisk pointed to said skeleton. “Sans.” Said monster sneered at you. “Alphys. Undyne.”

  “And you must know who I am, darling~” Mettaton spoke up, getting up from the armchair and sashaying up to you. “The one and only, you know~”

 You blink as he takes your free hand and kisses the back of it, then winks at you. Okay then, you probably should have expected that from this famous robot. Regaining your senses, you smiled at him.

  “Of course I do. Mettaton, the first celebrity monster.”

 He gasps dramatically. “Oh, you wonderful woman~”

  “METTATON, DO NOT SMOTHER (Y/N)!” Papyrus says, coming up to you. “SHE DOES NOT NEED YOU RUBBING IT ON!”

 …didn’t he mean rubbing it in? Whatever.

  “You GOTTA arm wrestle me!” Undyne literally ripped you out of the mini crowd and from Frisk. “Then I can see if you’re worthy of being Frisk’s mom!”

 Wait, what?

  “Everyone, calm down.” Toriel walked into the room. “Dinner is ready.”

  “WOOHOO!” Undyne and Papyrus both cried, running past her.

 You smiled your thanks to her, which she returned. A hand slipped into yours once more and you looked down with a fond smile at your child. Frisk turned to Toriel with pleading eyes.

  “Yes, you can sit with your mom. Just don’t make a mess.”

 Frisk tugged at your hand and you started to follow, but a bulging body shoved past you, purposely pushing your shoulder on the way. You stumbled from the unexpected move, then frowned as that damn Sans glanced back at you, sockets dark and smile stiff. Jerk.

  “Sans isn’t usually like that. He’ll be nice to you soon.” Frisk whispered as he disappeared.

 You didn’t say anything, but you highly doubted that skeleton monster would ever find it in himself to even tolerate you. Well, you guessed the feeling was mutual.


	13. Sitting Arrangements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter! You guys are probably going to start a mob and chase Sans down after this one, but I can promise you he'll be getting what's coming to him soon, too. 
> 
> And thank you again, for all those comments and Kudos! They're like little Christmas presents every single time~

 Toriel is a better chef than Gordan Ramsey. There, you said it.

 The feast she had prepared was beyond your expectations, with dozens of dishes that were all steamy and ready to be eaten. You sat between Mettaton and Sans, who you blatantly ignored as you got Frisk comfortable into your lap. Papyrus sat at the end of the table, with Toriel on the other end, who got Undyne and Alphys to sit across from you, leaving an empty seat where Frisk was supposed to sit. You preferred the sitting placement you had now, though.

  “Alright, dig in.” Toriel invited.

 Undyne fisted the air and grabbed a plate of chicken, everyone else following her example. Frisk leaned forward in your lap to pull forward a bowl of covered bread, taking three out.

  “Frisk, only two right now. Let everyone have one before you go eating them all.” you said sternly.

 They pouted at you and returned the third one, then eagerly went and pulled over a bowl of mashed potatoes, grinning widely as they spooned out a large mass and plopping it onto your plate. You chuckled and allowed them to fill the plate, enjoying this (mostly) warm atmosphere. The only problem was the icy stare of the skeleton beside you.

 Food is fully passed around and plates are filled accordingly before everyone begins eating. You allow Frisk to eat first, but they turn and offer you a bite every so often, practically bouncing in your lap. The little gesture reminds you of those times when they were only months old, trying to pick up their spoon and offer you their mushed peas. They were still so kind-hearted.

  “So, your SOUL is real awesome!” Undyne suddenly chirps up after a few moments of quiet chewing. “It’s matches Frisk!”

 It takes you a second to realize that she’s talking to you. You struggle to say something in return.

  “Oh, uh…thank you.”

  “IT IS A VERY RED COLOR, LIKE MY SCARF!” Papyrus adjusts said scarf over his shoulder, puffing his chest out. “WHATEVER I HAVE IS AUTOMATICALLY COOL!”

 You laugh and accept the forkful of food from Frisk, then leaned back and casually wrapped your arms around their waist. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Sans frown and tighten his phalanges around his cup, clearly upset with the small gesture. Geez, he seriously needed to get that stick out of his coccyx.

  “You know, darling, Frisk only has a few of your precious features~”

  “yeah. makes ya wonder who the baby daddy is and where they are.” Sans muttered.

  “ _Sans._ ” Toriel snaps.

 He doesn’t look the least bit sorry and just shrugs, but the table got quiet almost instantly and you glance down at the child in your lap that was slowly chewing on a green bean. They seemed at ease and completely uncaring of the topic that had been brought up.

  “So…where is he?” Undyne asked, wincing at the look Toriel shot at her. “If you don’t mind me asking, ya know.”

 You sighed. You should have been prepared for this question to come up at some point, in all honesty. Best to come out in the open with it now, huh?

  “Well…Ian was someone that didn’t deserve either of us.” You ran your hands through Frisk’s hair. “He was an alcoholic, with a bad rep and a huge temper. I was just too stupid to focus on that stuff and ended up with him.”

  “O-oh my…” Alphys whispered, her first words since you’d arrived. “D-did he…to-to you a-and Frisk…?”

  “Ian touched Frisk once and he’ll never do it again. Not as long as I breathe.” They turned and surprised you by wrapping their arms around your neck, snuggling into your chest. “…I was too young and naïve back then. That’s my biggest mistake in my past.”

  “And that’s quite enough of that while we’re eating.” Toriel interrupted with a huff.

 Everyone quietly agreed and began to eat again, but Frisk held to you a moment longer before pulling away, looking up at you with those eyes. This child was too good to you.

  “Eat your food.” you murmured, nodding to the plate.

  “That way you can grow up to be like ME!” Undyne confidently spoke up, flexing a bicep.

 Holy crap, her arms were just bulging muscle. How had you missed that?

  “AND COOL, LIKE ME!”

  “or you could just be lazy. it sure beats exercising.” Sans joked.

 Frisk giggled as they stuffed their face with homemade mac n’ cheese, making a mess all over their mouth.

  “Don’t give them any ideas, Sans.” Toriel said sourly.

  “water you talkin’ about?” he asked, raising his water glass.

 You almost missed the pun he slipped in and did a double-take. This guy did puns too? Uh, where was this guy when he was speaking to you? Or, to be more precise, _at_ you. 

  “SANS!” Papyrus groaned. “NOT AT THE DINNER TABLE! (Y/N) DOES NOT NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR BAD JOKES!”

 He seemed to shut up at the mention of you, as if he had almost forgotten your existence. The lights in his sockets dimmed as they turned to you, staring you right in the face. Unsettling, sure, but mostly annoying. Couldn’t he just act normal towards you, like just now? His eyelights dart downward and his face goes neutral, turning back to his food.

  “you know you love my jokes, paps.” He suddenly had an easy-going expression, like he hadn’t been giving you the weirdest look just now. “am i not hamming it up enough for ya?”

 You stare as he waves a piece of ham in Papyrus’ direction before taking a bite, swallowing (the heck?) and chuckling at the look on his brother’s face., who was physically shaking in his seat. You couldn't tell if he was quivering in anger or just trying to hold in his laughter.

  “Oh my.” Toriel starts to laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. “That was awfully _corny_ of you, Sans.”

 The skeleton turned to her with a bright gaze, taking another bite of ham. He certainly seemed excited and ready for battle, not to mention everyone here didn’t even seem to bat an eyelash. Sooo…this was normal?

 Geez, what kind of family had you just accepted?


	14. Conflicting Heart-to-Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Finally got around to finishing this, but only because I stayed up and started listening to music I prefer to associate with this story.
> 
> Now, let's look and see how our little family is doing, shall we?

 Dinner finishes at a good note, with Undyne getting Frisk to laugh so hard that they had water come out of their nose, followed by Papyrus tricking Sans into looking the other way and getting spaghetti sauce on his face. Everyone left the table full and comfortable, slowly making their way from the table to the couches in the living room. Throughout the entire thing, Frisk never left your side, always trying to hold your hand or climb into your lap.

 At first, the actions made your heart leap for joy…until you caught the sad look in Toriel’s eyes as Frisk snuggled on your lap in the living room. The warmth in your heart turned bittersweet as you realized that your child was also seen as Toriel’s child, too. You needed to have a serious conversation about all that.

  “Tori, that was delicious.” Undyne groaned.

 Everyone else agreed and her face lit up with a smile. She sat down in the large armchair near a brick fireplace that was turned towards the couches.

  “I’m glad you all enjoyed it. I always strive to make the best food I can. You dish was very good, though, (y/n). I quite liked the flavors.”

  “YES! IT WAS SCRUMTIOUS! WE MUST FIND TIME TO MAKE SOME SPAGEHTTI TOGETHER!”

 You laughed. “I wouldn’t mind that, actually.”

  “Then you must join me for a night at this grand club. You would look wonderful in this dress design I’ve been sketching~”

  “You still gotta wrestle with me, ya punk! Gotta see if you’re as strong as the kid.” Undyne eagerly insisted.

 Odd wording, you noticed.

 You tilt your head at the fish monster. “How do you know Frisk is strong?”

 One yellow eye blinks at you before glancing away. “Er…we kinda fought in the Underground.”

 It’s like you’ve been electrocuted by those very words. You sit straight up at the news, startling Frisk in your lap.

  “You did _what_?”

 Undyne actually cringes at the tone in your voice, unable to look you in the eyes and settling for your shoulder. Everyone else is quiet. The nice atmosphere from before is gone.

  “Well…Frisk came to us and we were getting so close to breaking that barrier. We just needed one more SOUL…” She sounds apologetic, her fin ears drooping. “Not to mention their DETERMENTATION…”

 You may not know much about monsters or SOULs or magic, but you sure as hell knew she was admitting to something akin to attempted murder. You’re suddenly on edge, embracing Frisk closely and eyeing the others around you in a new light.

 None of them were even looking at you anymore, not even Sans. In fact, he had his entire skull turned in the opposite direction, unable to even glance your way. Your muscles tense, prepared to flee with child in tow.

  “You mean to tell me you’ve all tried to kill my baby? My _child?!_ ”

  “I didn’t let them, Mom.” You glare down at Frisk, ready to remind them that they could have been **killed** by these monsters, but they beat you to it. “They didn’t want to hurt me. They just wanted to be free. They didn’t want to be caged anymore.”

 You inhale slowly, trying to calm yourself before you go off on everyone here, including your own child. But…the words did resonate with you, at least to some degree. You knew what it was like, being stuck and wanting nothing more than your freedom. And tempted to do anything to obtain it.

 Exhale.

  “If any of you harmed Frisk in any way, I wouldn’t hesitate to lock you away in jail myself.” You sighed, putting a hand to your forehead. You needed a drink right now. “At least you guys aren’t in the Underground anymore.”

  “Y-yeah! Which m-means there’s no n-need for v-v-violence.” Alphys pipes up.

  “These two are too DETERMINED and kind to ever want to harm any of us.” Toriel softly points out. “Now, how’s about we play a board game? Frisk, why don’t you and Papyrus go pick one out?”

  “WE’RE ON IT! LET US QUEST FOR THE BEST OF BOARD GAMES, FRISK!”

 You watch as Papyrus stands to his feet and bends over to pick the child from your lap, swinging them easily over his shoulder pads, where they settled nicely and pointed towards the stairs to the second floor. You couldn’t help the little smile that escaped you as you listened to the pounding of Papyrus’ jolly feet.

  “(y/n), may I have a word in the kitchen?”

 You look to see Toriel, her expression somber as she gets up from her chair and waves you over into the kitchen. You reluctantly followed, drowning out the conversations from other parts of the house. She turned to you, hands clasped to her chest, swallowing thickly.

  “I do apologize for putting all this on you in one night, but we monsters tend to…see SOULs. See the way they have been affected and harmed. I promise they were only curious, not purposely trying to pry into your personal affairs.” Her eyes darkened, becoming a waiting storm. “Sans, however, has been quite rude and inconsiderate tonight. I promise you I’ll be talking to him sometime tonight and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

  “Oh…” More information shoved into your lap to comprehend. “I suppose I can’t entirely blame them either way. Frisk is obviously very important to all of you.”

 The storm in her expression passes at that, turning into that soft, kind motherly goat who had welcomed you into her family.

  “Yes. Frisk has changed us all for the better, in so many ways. They saved us, regardless of what we tried to do to them. I pray you don’t hold the past over us either, (y/n). We were…ignorant and desperate. But Frisk managed to show us a different path, a gentler one. They’re the sole reason we got out of that mountain.”

 You winced at that bittersweet feeling that took over you. Toriel saw Frisk as her child, that much was clear. And Frisk had a warm, protective family now that would anything for them. It was like a dream come true, in every sense of the word.

  “Toriel…? I actually wanted to talk to you about Frisk. I know that you are considered another mother to them, and you see them as your child.” She’s already looking upset, as if she knew what you were about to say. “I wanted to talk to you about…custody. I want my baby back, now that I know they’re alive and well. I’m so much better off than before, with a steady job and nice apartment.”

  “Yes, I know…” She sounds so sad, like she’s about to cry. “I just…I hope you understand how- “

  “Toriel, I have no intention of keeping Frisk from this wonderful family we’ve acquired.” She sniffs and smiles at the way you throw her words back at you. “And I don’t expect you to immediately drop Frisk into my arms, because you’ve been such a blessing for them. They need to make the choice in the end and we need to both accept it, whatever they decide. I’ve damaged them enough by giving them such an awful father and they’re old enough to make decisions on their own.”

  “You realize that I haven’t been able to legally adopt them up here, correct?” she pressed.

  “I’m not worried about that. This is about Frisk and their well-being.” You reached out, taking her hands in yours. “Frisk is what matters in this equation. They come first, no matter what. I know we can both agree on that.”

  “Of course. We all do.”

 You squeezed her hands. “Then we let things take its’ own course. I’m not going to fight my own family for someone we all want to protect and love.”

  “(y/n)…”

  “WE HAVE FOUND IT!” Papyrus cries, stomping down the stairs.

 The moment ends as Toriel snorts and you crack a smile, looking into the living room to watch as Papyrus ran in, waving a boxed board game and hopping up and down. Frisk is giggling atop those massive shoulder pads, something that makes your heart swell with love. Not just for your own flesh and blood, but for the very monsters that had caused that smile in the first place.  


	15. Opinionated Backlash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many of you seem to be rooting for Goat Mom x MILF now! That was unexpected, but made me laugh anyway. After a few chapters, you may have a slightly better view of Sans. I can't wait to write more, but I'll have a much easier time during summer (I hope), so bear with me.
> 
> Little shout out to jellybellyrulez in this chapter! You'll see why in a second. *winkwink*
> 
> Love you guys!

 The night is far too short as everyone plays Catan, which ended with Undyne and Papyrus fighting to win. Toriel finally called it a night after Frisk began yawning, making sure Undyne and Papyrus put the game away. You immediately felt heavy as you realized you would have to say goodbye to Frisk, leaving them here while you ventured back to your empty apartment. You hated the thought, but Toriel had agreed with you on the entire custody ordeal.

 Time to put on a brave face.

  “Hey, Frisky-bits.” You lean down and brush your fingers against their cheek. “Get some rest now, okay? Mommy has work tomorrow, so I won’t be able to see you then. Maybe we can all go out sometime.”

 They nodded sleepily, smiling up at you in a heart wrenching way. You didn’t want to leave their side again. You had only gotten a small taste of being with them tonight and you wanted so much more. But this was where they resided for now and you had to accept that.

  “Good night, Mom.”

 They snuggle into your chest and hug you, which you instantly return, holding them close. When you pull away, you’re tackled by Undyne from behind, her scaly arm wrapping loosely around your neck.

  “Alright punk, you better believe we’re all gonna hang out sometime. You’re stuck with us, remember?” she says cheekily.

 Alphys shyly touches your hand and nods at you before the two leave out the front door together. Papyrus abruptly picks you up in a crushing hug, squeezing the air from your lungs. Geez, this monster was definitely unaware of his strength.

  “I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN, (Y/N)!”

  “Papyrus, not so loud.” Toriel scolds gently, pushing Frisk gently towards the stairs. “Up to bed with you now.”

 Papyrus sheepishly puts you down, allowing your lungs to intake oxygen again. You watch Frisk as they vanish up the steps, then step towards Toriel for a hug without thinking before you stop yourself. She catches it and closes the distance to embrace you. You gratefully return it and then she pulls away to go do the same to Papyrus and Sans. The short skeleton pulls away from Toriel and his eyes zone in on you, which then leaves the two of you in an awkward stare down of sorts. Did you hug him or would Toriel understand if you weren’t exactly eager to get near the obnoxious monster?

 Thankfully, she steps in and ushers all three of you to the front door, cutting the awkwardness short. Once outside, Papyrus gleefully waves goodbye as you separate, going to your own cars. You smile at the sight of the familiar red sports car, both skeletons getting in and driving away. You do the same, glancing up in your rearview mirror to watch the lovely house fade into the distance until it was gone.

 Once you got to your apartment and changed into comfy clothes, you let your mind go over the entire dinner, over all of the monsters and the conversations you had. All the fun and laughter that you had in just one night, regardless if one seemed to hate your guts.

 Now that you got to think about it, the moron had given no reason as to why he had such a negative attitude towards you. You needed to address that at some point with Sans. Then again, he didn’t seem like he wanted to even be in your presence, so talking to him wouldn’t benefit you much. Maybe Toriel could find out? No, she admitted she didn’t know either.

 Shrugging, you rolled over and promptly fell asleep, deciding to worry about it another day.

* * *

 The moment you sat down at your desk, Traci seemed to appear from thin air, excitement written all over her face. You couldn’t help but chuckle at her actions, shuffling some papers around and turning your computer on.

  “Well?” She sounds so impatient and eager. “Tell me everything!”

 You leaned back and looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. “How much coffee did you have this morning, girl?”

  “(y/n), spill it!”

 You laughed. “It was wonderful.”

  “And…?” She gestured for you to keep talking. “What else?”

  “Wellllll- “

  “(y/n)!” she cried in exasperation.

  “Okay, okay!” You smiled down at your lap. “It was amazing, Trac’. I got to meet all these new monsters and Toriel made such delicious food. And Frisk never left my side, not for a single moment. It was like a dream. Well, not counting that annoying Sans guy.”

  “The skeleton? Ew.”

  “It didn’t ruin the dinner at all. He just shoved me and ignored me. Do you know he does jokes and puns? Like, normally? It was so weird to watch.”

  “More like rude. Seriously, what’s up his ass?”

  “He doesn’t have an ass, Traci.” you said, swiveling to your computer.

  “Speaking of asses,” She purred, nudging your chair. “Any of these new monster friends single and ready to mingle?”

  “Oh god, seriously? I thought you were trying to pursue Grillby.”

 She gave you a deadpan look. “I meant for you.”

  “Even if there was, I’m not exactly interested at the moment.” you replied, trying not to blush.

  “Oh? So, it wouldn’t matter if it was a monster, then?” she purred.

  “Oh my god. Traci. I’m trying to work. You know, something you should be doing?” you said, pretending to focus on your computer screen.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll get you laid with someone. Human or monster, it doesn’t matter.” She got up with a giggle. “Have fun with your boring paperwork!”

 You rolled your eyes, pushing your concentration at the-

  “ ** _(y/n)_**.”

 Your head snapped over to the dark, dangerous tone, where Mr. Romaine stood, his face reminding you loosely of Sans that day in the park. What was up with your boss now?

  “Mr. Romaine?”

  “ ** _My office_**.”

 He left no room for argument, turning on his heel and storming off. You stared at his retreating figure for a confused second before getting up yourself and following him. He got to his office before you and stood at the open door until you entered, then practically slammed the door shut and marched to stand behind his desk. He stayed standing but flicked a hand at a chair for you to sit. You did, albeit slowly while he leaned forward and put his hands on his desk for an uncomfortable moment.

  “Is…everything okay?” you decided to ask carefully.

 He sighed, briefly pinching the bridge of his nose before looking at you.

  “You’re an intelligent woman. You’re also very capable and…easy on the eyes.” You cringed at the way his eyes dilated, roaming over your figure. “But to resort to monsters… _monsters_. You could do so much better than a mass of anim- “

 It clicked. “You were eavesdropping again!”

  “…you need to stick to your own kind. It’s much better to have a human than an animal.”

  “Kristopher Romaine, those so-called ‘animals’ are my family members. Don’t insult them, don’t belittle them or think you have any right in seeing them as anything lesser than us.”

  “They have your _child_ , (y/n). You sho- “

 Not this again.

  “This conversation is over.” you snarled, getting to your feet.

  “(y/n), your child is better than a mere monster or animal. Don- “

 You snapped at the verbal slap in the face he had thrown at you. He had just insulted Frisk, right in your face. He had pushed a bit too much over your boundaries now. You spun around and used every ounce of rage in your body to spit your next words with all the venom you could.

  “Kris, you’d better shut the hell up before you say something you regret. Because I promise you, if you continue down that little subject, I will make sure you repent for ever having opened your mouth in the first place.” His face was pale, eyes now wide in shock. “And next time you want to speak your disgusting opinions for all to hear, do us all a favor and don’t.”

 With that, you ripped the door open, allowing it to slam into the wall, beyond livid as you made your way back to your desk. You were physically shaking as you sat down, running your hands through your hair and slowly allowing yourself to calm down. You had never been so close to punching someone…well, besides Sans. After a few tense minutes, of which your boss didn’t show his face to fire you on the spot, you were able to breathe. Looks like you weren’t losing your job just yet.

 You went back to work but thanked every deity that you had tomorrow off.


	16. Little Treats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are so cute, I swear. All your comments and the way you mob together against Sans and Romaine is too adorable. I love it.
> 
> This chapter ended up being longer than expected, but I'm sure you guys don't mind it too much. Enjoy~!

 Freedom came the next day, along with the urge to get something sweet. Ice cream? Hm, maybe not this early in the morning. Some expensive coffee sounded too ridiculous today. What would be good this morning without making your stomach angry with you?

 You finally decided that you would drive around until you found something, hopping into your car and going randomly around town, searching. At first, your search goes uneventful and disappointing. Half an hour goes by, without finding anything to your liking and you’re about ready to call it quits and just go back home to make some sad pancakes. Until you see a cute little sign of a spiderweb, _Muffet’s Café_ in loopy cursive.

 You don’t hesitate and park across the street, going up to get a better look. The café has large windows that are easy to see into, where booths and little tables are, a little kitchen on one side and showcasing a bunch of treats. You smile, going inside and inhaling the moment you step into the warm area. The air was sweet, but faint, with a hint of spice and an undertone of freshly brewed coffee. You already liked this place.

 There are a few monsters seated around, their chatter filling the café, but there is a lack of anyone behind the counter. You decide to wait and look at your options, seeing as you aren’t in any rush. You bend down to see what this café is selling, curious. There are so many options that make your mouth water, from purple macaroons to purple-glazed donuts.

  “First timers seem to enjoy our spider donuts, dearie.” You jump and stand upright to see…a spider monster girl, all five of her eyes looking at you. “They’re quite good, despite the name.”

 You stare for a moment too long before she giggles in a very high-pitched tone, tilting her head at you. She doesn’t look very insulted at your shocked reaction, which is a relief, but she does have an amused smirk on her dainty face.

  “Were you not expecting a monster café, my dear?” she asks.

 You open your mouth to agree and apologize, but stop short when a third arm – no, _her_ third arm – reaches for an empty coffee pot to start another batch. It wasn’t that you hated spiders (not too much, anyway), but mainly the fact that she was just so intriguing. Lavender skin, a cute white apron, dark pigtails. She was a lovely monster, honestly.

  “Y-yes.” Good, your voice is working again. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare like that.”

  “It’s quite alright. I’m used to it, not to mention you didn’t seem to be outright disgusted by the sight of me.”  She smiles, her little fangs poking over her bottom lip. “Welcome to my café.”

 You return the smile. “Am I right to assume you’re Ms. Muffet?”

  “The one and only.” She does a little curtsey. “Now, how may I help you today?”

 You hum and glance over your options again, then look up at the list of drinks as well. Geez, so many options to choose from. If this place held promise, you could just return and try something else next time, right?

  “I suppose I’ll take your advice. And a small cup of coffee.”

 Her laugh is like echoing bells as one of her arms reaches into the display, while another puts that into register, telling you the amount. You give her your card and watch as another arm goes and fills a cup of steaming coffee for you, bagging the treat with two others.

  “Yes, it does help to have six arms sometimes. Means I can handle my café without any additional help.” How did she know you had been thinking that? “You aren’t the first, dearie. Here you are and enjoy.”

 She hands you the hot cup and the donut, which you take with a nod of thanks, turning to go and sit at one of the empty little tables. You barely get to sit before the door of the café opens and you automatically glance to see who had entered.

 You freeze up, your heart lifting.

  “Frisk! Undyne! Alphys!” You get up, nearly spilling your cup in the process. “I wasn’t expecting to bump into you three today!”

 Undyne’s yellow eye widens and she grins. “Well, ain’t this a nice surprise!”

  “W-what are y-you doing here?”

  “She’s trying out the best donuts in history, that’s what! Nice choice!” Undyne cries. “Your mom has got the right idea this morning, kid!”

 You laugh, then bend down as Frisk comes running your way to grapple your legs into a tight hug, wrapping your arms around them. Oh, this day got a whole lot better. Sending time with your family here was something you weren’t going to even try turning down. Un dyne goes to Muffet to order while Alphys shyly approaches you.

  “We c-c-can go sit o-over there.” Alphys points to an empty booth. “I-if that’s okay.”

  “Of course.” You ruffle Frisk’s hair. “Let me grab my things.”

 Before you take even fully turn around, your child dashes around you and snatches up the purple donut, taking a huge bite that fills their cheeks, now resembling a guilty squirrel. You blink at the sudden theft, but you can’t even be mad at them as they try to fill their mouth with another bite, crumbs and glaze covering their face. You snort and begin laughing instead.

  “Oh my.” Alphys chuckles. “F-Frisk, you s-shouldn’t take your m-mother’s things.”

  “It’s quite alright, actually. I can get another.” You hand her your cup of coffee and things. “You and Frisk can save us that booth.”

 You get in line behind Undyne, who looks behind her and raises a brow. “You sure finished that donut quick. You’re almost as bad as Alpy.”

  “No, Frisk just decided to be a little thief today. Must be your influence.” You hope she knows you’re teasing her. “I didn’t even get a bite.”

 She bursts out in a roar that you think is laughter, with Muffet giving both of you patient looks. What a morning this is turning out to be.

  “Man, that kid of yours is somethin’ else, (y/n).” She sighs, wiping the corner of her eye before turning back to Muffet. “I’ll have the usual for me and Alpy. The kid seems to have already gotten their share.”

 She pays and collects her things, going over to the booth. You step forward, but Muffet thrusts another bagged donut into your face before you have a chance to actually say anything.

  “On the house, my dear. Frisk is a particular favorite of mine here, so I don’t mind giving this one to you.”

 Oh. That was unexpected, but kind of her. You smile and thank her, taking the treat. It feels heavier than normal.

  “You know, I never thought any of us monsters would be able to meet the birth mother of that wonderful child.” She leaned forward on the counter with two of her arms. “You have no idea how important they are to us.”

  “I have an inkling, actually…” You recall the conversation you had had with Toriel, wincing. “You all seem to be indebted to them.”

  “Because we are. They refused to hurt us, despite every single one of us pressing for a fight. They wanted friendships, not war. Their SOUL is something special, just like yours. I can see the resemblance.”

 Hearing about what had happened during the time Frisk had gone missing was strange, especially coming from monsters every time. They all appeared to be grateful, wistfully stating the fact that Frisk had been a dream come true for them all. You can’t seem to easily imagine your child being the one to wander around in dark caves, stopping these kind monsters from harming them. It seemed surreal, in a way.

  “Most can’t see it. Many say they were adopted by me instead.”

  “Maybe to a human point of view.” Her eyes are drawn slightly downward to your chest. “Your SOULs speak volumes for us monsters, though. It’s almost like they mirror each other.” Now you’re tempted to ask about SOULs and such, but you really want to spend some time with your family. She seems to sense what you’re about to say and waves you away with a smile. “Go on, dear. Come again, though. We can talk more about that next time.”

 A promise like that is nice to hear and you almost skip to the booth, slipping in beside Frisk. Your good luck and mood couldn’t ever be extinguished at this point.

  “Whatcha got there?” Undyne asks.

  “A little gift, since Muffet saw someone steal my treat.” You eye your child with a playful scowl. “She seems to understand that little creatures like children like to eat everything in sight and not leave anything for their mom.”

  “That’s b-because she has spider children s-she takes care of.” Alphys mumbles.

 Oh. That makes more sense. You shiver at the thought of what Muffet’s house must entail, then decide it’s best not think about it.

  “Anyway, these donuts are mine.” You take out one and pause before you take bite, noticing the pout on your child’s face. “You can have the last bite, you greedy thing.”

 You take a bite and nearly spit it out on reflex. The pastry tingles, like you had burning pop rocks on your tongue. Undyne begins laughing at your expression, pounding the table with her fist.

  “Oh MAN! Did you see her FACE?!” She laughs harder, putting her forehead on the table. “I can’t even breathe right now…”

 That seems to be all it takes for all of you to truly comfortable, even for Alphys. You all munch on your treats and finish the last of your lukewarm drinks, talking and laughing and joking around like you had known each other for much longer than a few days. Frisk is quiet, but they’re always smiling and laughing, content to snuggle into you.

 The conversation finally turns to Undyne’s experiences with the skeleton brothers a while back, which has you cringe at the mention of Sans. And here you thought nothing could ruin this day.

  “And Sans just lets Paps throw him like a football. He didn’t even flinch and Paps starts shrieking while the kid and I are just _dying_!”

 You give a half-hearted chuckle, but the story seems less funny when you’re reminded of the fact that one of those skeletons hate you. Perhaps Undyne and Alphys can help clear some of the confusion about him?

  “Not that I didn’t enjoy your story, but…what’s Sans’ problem with me?”

  “Uh…” The two females across from you exchange a look, something passing between them. “Sans is…an odd one.”

  “Well, I figured that.” You rolled your eyes. “But why does he seem to have it out for me? And only me. He didn’t even know me the first time we met. He looked ready to murder me right on the spot.”

 Alphys recoils, curling her tail into her lap. “H-he means well.”

  “By threatening me? And constantly being a huge ass?”

  “Sans has never been an easy book to read, but I can agree on that. He’s been a real jerk towards you.” Undyne takes a vicious bite into her fourth éclair, looking up thoughtfully at the ceiling. “I guess he just doesn’t like you. This is the first time I’ve seen the guy ever dislike someone, but it’s pretty obvious he doesn’t like you being around.”

  “Well, tough luck for him. I’m sticking around. Besides…I don’t exactly see him as my BFF either.”

 Undyne chokes on her food, taken aback by your comment. Alphys hastily thumps her on the back with a worried expression, but Undyne just keeps laughing. It takes her a good few minutes before she’s able to even speak normally again.

  “Dude, you’re hilarious. I’m so glad you’re Frisk’s mom.”

 And then the day brightens all over again.


	17. The Men in Your Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got this one down. I kept altering it, but it still doesn't feel right, at least to me.
> 
> Oh well.
> 
> Go ahead, enjoy your chapter while I enjoy my cake at 6 in the morning. Being in college tends to do that to you.

 Your day with Undyne, Alphys and Frisk is as close to perfect as you can get. You four end up roaming around town, enjoying each other’s company and getting closer. Just like a real family, like you’d always dreamed of doing. And just like before, Frisk is stuck to your side like glue, all smiles and giggles as they tug you around. Your heart is melting and soaring all at once. You go to bed that night with a sense of peace and warmth, wanting to see your baby again.

 But it seems like someone from above just loves screwing with you.

 You’re getting ready for work the next morning, a hop in your step as you hum along with your music that’s blasting from your phone, on cloud nine. You grab your things, noting that you’ll be really early to work and will have time to possibly grab something from Muffet’s café. It’ll be a little out of your way, but you want to see her again and get to know this interesting spider monster. Plus, you wanted to know about SOULs and she said she would give you that information, which was so exciting.

 You step out of your home, smiling as you start to lock your door. A large hand wraps tightly around your upper arm, startling you from your task. You snap your head over, about to demand to be released and throw a punch or two. The words instantly die in your throat at the person attached to that hand. Those dark eyes, the thick hair, the pursed scowl that now seemed to be permanently set on his face are something you hadn’t missed.

  “Ian…” You’re unprepared to see this man again. “Wha- “

  “About time I found ya.” He’s slurring, which means he’s drunk. It takes you a moment before the smell of alcohol hits your nostrils. “Took my guys long enough, too. Lazy assholes could have done it way faster and they know it.”

  “Ian, what are you even doing here?” You start to pull away from him, but his grip on you increases tenfold. “Let me go, Ian. I have things to do.”

  “Oh yeah? More important than me?”

  “Don’t act surprised.” You twisted your arm, but he wasn’t letting up and it was starting to piss you off now. “The world doesn’t exactly revolve around you, you know.”

  “Geez, you’ve gotten quite the mouth on ya.” He sneered, somehow tightening his grip further. It’s starting to hurt. “Where’s this newfound attitude comin’ from?”

  “Let go of me. Now.”

  “How’s about you tell me why you thought it was okay to up and walk off? You get a lil’ independent and suddenly you’re a goddamn queen or somethin’?”

  “Ian. Let. Me. Go.” you snarl.

  “Or what? You gonna bite me? Slap me? Call the cops?” You open your mouth to say the latter, but he stops you by laughing and yanking you closer to him. You can clearly smell the booze on his breath, take in the mused hair and unstable pupils. “You’re too much of a coward, (y/n). You can’t do a thing t’ me.”

 You swallow hard, your mind catching up with the situation. Of the way he’s clearly wasted, of how he’s still coherent to use his strength against you, of the danger. Should you scream for help or fight your way through this? You were still mentally shaking by the facts that he had been trying to track you down, which had resulted to your current predicament. Your heart raced, but you shoved down your fear.

  “Ian, you are extremely drunk and stupid, and I could put your ass in jail right now.” He narrows his eyes at you, his body unsteady. “Let go.”

  “You know, you sure have gotten hotter since I last saw you.” It’s like he didn’t even hear what you just said. “That outfit looks good on you…”

 Your skin crawls at the sleazy gaze, refusing to shrink back into submission. You would never bow or bend to this pathetic excuse of a man again.

  “You’re disgusting.” You pull back with force and manage to wrench yourself free. “Stay away from me.”

 Before he has a chance to do anything, you slam your now-locked door and stormed off to your car, ignoring his screaming demands to come back. You don’t even look over your shoulder to see if he was following after you, but you do catch a glimpse of him tripping over the curb as you drive away. The sight makes you smile.

* * *

 

  “And he thought he had the right to touch you?!” Traci is fuming after you having explained this morning (not to mention your connection with Ian and Frisk), which you can’t blame her for. “You should have ripped his balls off!”

  “I’m more pissed by the fact that he’s been trying to find me, Traci.” You slammed a set of files onto your desk. “Not to mention he thought it was okay to just up and grab me, then treat me like his bitch all over again. The fucker should know his place!”

 Traci blinks. “You sure you wanna risk him showing up at your place again?”

 You pause, thinking it over. On one hand, your friend here stated a very good point. But then again, maybe this is what you need to face, just one last time. While the man was quite dangerous, he was also persistent. You had a pretty strong feeling that he would try to find you again if you decided to up and move.

  “I know he will and that’s what I want.”

  “Okay, that is about the dumbest thing I’ve heard come out of your mouth.”

 You turned to look her in the eye. “Ian is an idiot, plus he’s sloppy. But he’s also persistent. He caught me by surprise today and now I’m aware of him. I’m not going to be paranoid and run away forever. I won’t live a life where I have to look over my shoulder every second of the day.”

 She opens her mouth to say something, either encouragement or disagreement, when you spot your boss heading this way. You’re beginning to notice he has this look, this grimace on his face, whenever he’s been eavesdropping on your conversations. The guy was really pushing your boundaries each time.

 You stood to your feet, in no mood to be commanded by another man today and met him halfway. You almost laugh at the look of surprise that overcame him, clearly trying to hide it. He coughed, attempting to keep his composure, then started to speak. You beat him to it.

  “Yeah, I know. Let’s get this over with.”

 You brushed past him, a woman now on a mission. You were getting sick and tired of all these males in your life acting like they got to run the show just because they felt like they could. Your boss, Sans and now Ian, all making it that much harder for you as a single, independent mother. It was tiring, frustrating and you just wanted to enjoy having Frisk and a new family in your life.

 You were already seated when Mr. Romaine entered his own office, awkwardly shutting the door behind him. He cleared his throat, making his way to the other side of the desk and slowly sat in his chair. You immediately jumped to get your own words in before he said anything.

  “Mr. Romaine, you are my boss, first and foremost. However, you seem to lack the basic common sense that one should not continuously try to listen in on private matters, especially when it’s people who work under you.” He at least has enough humility to not look you in the eye when you say that. “You have been doing that constantly and I’m sick and tired of you acting like it’s okay for some reason.”

  “I’m just worried about you, (y/n).”

  “I didn’t ask for you to play Superman and rescue me. I’m not a damsel in distress and I’m not going to let any man think he has control over me. You may be my boss, but you should start by acting like one.”

  “I apologize if I did anything to upset yo- “

  “Don’t. I’m in no mood for some half-assed apology. You need to stop sticking your nose in my business. Period.”

  “…yes, of course.” He seems to be speaking to himself more than anything. “I hope I don’t end up on your bad side in the future.”

 You just shake your head, getting out of the chair to leave the office and get back to work. You had let off enough steam to be able to concentrate now.

  “(y/n)?” You glance over your shoulder to see your boss leaned back in his seat, smirking. “Maybe I could make it up to you somehow? Dinner, maybe?”

 He did not just say that.

 Without responding in any way, you left the office, making sure to slam it shut behind you. As you made your way back to your desk, you couldn’t help but shiver at the unnatural way his eyes took you in just then. It reminded you of Ian, in a way.

  “Work. You need to do work.” You told yourself aloud as you got to your seat. “No more creepy thoughts about men. Just…work.”

 And so, you did. But that little shiver was hooked onto you, just at the back of your neck. You ignored it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone with a pitchfork and any other weapons, please make your way into the "Stab Romaine and Ian in the Balls" tent so we can get started!
> 
> The "Bash Sans in the Skull" room is going to be officially closed in the next chapter, so get it in while you still want to!


	18. When Pigs Fly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been wanting to write this chapter for so long and I'm so glad it's finished! However, due to finals coming up and getting ready to move back home for the summer, I'll most likely be absent for the next two weeks or so. Just a heads up.
> 
> But I hope you like this chapter!  
> Enjoy!!!

 When you arrived home after that long, uncomfortable day at work, you half-expected Ian to still be there, leaned up against your door, refusing to let you into your own apartment. Instead, his stupid face was nowhere to be seen and you found yourself both tense as a bowstring and a bit more at ease. If he wasn’t in the open right now, then that meant he was possibly hiding from your sight, watching you in the shadows somewhere. The thought was unsettling enough for you to almost jog up to your door, glancing over your shoulder as you unlocked the door.

 But nothing happened as you got inside and locked up. You were slightly tempted to grab a weapon and search your home for any sign of him but restrained yourself. No need to get all paranoid after seeing his ugly mug once. You went and changed into a large shirt and some leggings, going about the end of your day.

 You had just finished making yourself dinner when a knock came at the door, every nerve standing on edge at the silence that followed. Was he really back again, so soon? Why couldn’t you just catch a freakin’ break for once?

  “Who’s there?” you asked as you approached the door, hand on the lock.

  “doris.” a familiar deep voice answers.

 Your muscles relax, a smile tugging on your lips. You would much rather have this male be at your doorstep than your ex, in all honesty. You couldn’t help but play along.

  “Doris who?”

  “doris locked, that’s why i’m knocking.”

 You snorted, unlocking the door and opening it, revealing both a skeleton monster and your beloved child, the latter of who jumped forward to hug you. The gesture eased you, even with the odd standing you had with Sans right now.

  “I wasn’t expecting company.” You stated, looking to the skeleton with a smile. “I was just about to eat dinner.”

  “the kid wanted to come by and see you.”

 This made your whole day, so you weren’t complaining. But there was that weird look on Sans’ face that you weren’t sure about…

  “Why is it only you two?”

  “i was giving tori some quiche and the kiddo kinda bombarded me to bring ‘em here.”

  “She didn’t want to come?” you said, picking Frisk up and setting them on your hip.

  “nah. she had some stuff to do, so she just gave me your address and sent me off.”

 You were so glad you had given her your address.

  “That’s fine. Why don’t I make you two dinner as well and we can al- “

  “Holy shit. Frisk?”

 Your skin prickled as all attention swerved to the voice, where Ian was standing and staring at the child in your arms. He looked like he’d just seen a ghost.

  “What makes you think you have any right coming back here?” you spat.

 Ian blinked, taking in the monster that stood beside you and the way you held Frisk against you, as if shielding them from his gaze. Shock twisted into disgust.

  “Why are you near that thing? Get Frisk away from it.”

 Okay, you may not entirely like Sans all that much, but you would never treat any of your family members like they were plagues or objects. It seems your boss and your ex had a lot more in common than you’d like to admit.

  “Ian, you need to leave. I told you to stay away for a reason.”

 He seemed taken aback by your cold tone, but it could have simply been by the little movement you made to step closer to Sans. His dark eyes assessed the three of you, silent. Should you do something before he made a move? Call the police now? He hadn’t exactly done anything, so it’s not like he would get arrested or anything. Damnit.

  “I should’ve seen this coming, really. You, keeping Frisk away from me. You, hangin’ around those monster things. It’s nothing too shocking, really.”

  “Frisk deserves a better father than you, Ian.” You set Frisk down while continuing to glare this horrendous man down, pressing them close to Sans. “Take Frisk inside, Sans. Please.”

  “Don’t let that thing touch them!” Ian shouted.

  “Good-bye Ian.”

 Sans had gotten Frisk inside, thankfully. You moved to step inside and slam the door in Ian’s face, intending to have a good dinner with Sans and Frisk. Your ex seemed to not get the hint though, storming forward and grabbing your shoulder, forcing you to turn around. Startled, you gasped and tried to pull away, but he held fast, his eyes burning.

  “Your attitude is beginning to piss me off. Frisk is my child too, you little bitch.” he hissed.

 You didn’t recoil or cower away, but you hated the way his very touch made your skin crawl. He really thought he had control over your life and Frisk, didn’t he? You huffed out a laugh, ready to rip this guy a new one.

  “let her go.”

 Well, color you surprised. Sans was actually stepping in for your sake? Today was just throwing you all sorts of curveballs, wasn’t it?

  “I don’t think I was talking to you, was I? Stay out of this.” Ian snapped.

  “don’t think it really matters now, does it?”

 You turned your head and blinked, finding two black holes in a rounded skull. Which wasn’t directed at you this time, thankfully. It was creepy on a whole other level.

 Ian tsked, tugging you closer into him. “(y/n), tell your little pet off before things get worse.”

  “that a threat, pal?”

 You watched as Sans left socket flickers with a blue light, a wisp of sorts that was gone in seconds. You knew you hadn’t imagined it, though.

  “You’re really gonna challenge me?” He did a curt laugh before tightening his grip on you, obviously trying to make a bruise form. “You let these things do the fighting for you now? Are you that much of a coward?”

 Sans’ socket flickers again, only for a moment. You can spot Frisk inside, upset at the scene unfolding before them. You wished this wasn’t happening right in front of them. Why couldn’t Ian just leave you alone?

  “let her go.” Sans repeats.

 Instead of listening, he digs his fingers into you, causing you to flinch. You notice the way Sans’ grin stiffens at your reaction to the pain, at the slight curl of his boney fingers that are starting to glow cyan.

  “Give me my kid and I’ll get out of here.” Ian bargains.

  “ **L e t  h e r  g o .** ”

 You feel goosebumps erupt over you at the way Sans’ voice darkens, his left socket suddenly filled with a bright blue and yellow flickering eye. He raised his hand and aimed it at Ian, who merely pulled you in front of him as a shield and bringing you face to face with the terrifying sight of Sans.

  “You certainly look the part of a monster, but you just talk big.”

  “ **H e h.** ” That flashing eye glances at you for a second, his grin hitching up a bit. “ **W e l l ,  y o u  a s k e d  f o r  i t .** ”

 His hand flares with blue magic, strong and tangible in the air. You freeze in place, both amazed and unsettled as he does a gesture similar to shoving something off a table. The grip on you vanishes and you move immediately to stand beside Sans, watching in awe. Ian is outlined in that same blue color, feet levitated a few inches off the ground and clearly unable to move in any way. Whoa.

 You feel Frisk come up behind you and cling to your leg, which you automatically reach and touch the top of their head, offering comfort. Ian’s eyes are wildly looking around, but he’s completely restrained under the force of Sans’ magic. The sight of it is satisfying in so many ways and you can’t help laughing a bit.

  “Guess you learned your lesson, hm?”

 Sans chuckles darkly at your side, arm still raised and glowing blue. Ian’s eyes are wide, but he’s obviously frustrated that he can’t respond while under the influence of magic. It’s quite nice to not have him insulting you or trying to harm you in any way.

  “ **S t a y  a w a y  f r o m  h e r ,  g o t  i t ?  O t h e r w i s e  y o u  w o n ‘ t  l i k e  w h a t  h a p p e n s .** ”

 Like a switch, Sans is back to normal and his magic is gone, unceremoniously dropping Ian and letting him fall into a heap on the ground. The man scrambles to his feet, a sneer of utter contempt on his face. He keeps his distance but doesn’t hesitate to point right at you.

  “You and your little friend there are gonna regret that, (y/n). You won’t like what happens when we see each other again. Watch your back, bitch.”

 He runs off before you can reply, but you’re glad to see him go. You bend down and pick up Frisk, who clings to you like a leech, shivering in a way that breaks your heart. Pressing your lips together, you lead the way inside and make sure the door is locked. Sans is quiet until you finally turn to him, eyelights assessing the two of you.

  “you okay there?”

 You give him a strained smile. “I’ve been better.”

  “…yeah.”

 You take a deep breath as silence takes over the room, but you remember your manners, despite how much animosity there is between you and this skeleton.

  “Thanks for that, by the way. That could have gone a lot worse if you hadn’t been here.”

 There’s that look again, one that makes you want to ask if there’s something on your face. What’s he thinking?

  “don’t mention it.” He answers after a few moments, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. “least i could do, i guess.”

 You almost expected a snappy or rude retort, but you’ll gladly welcome this over wanting to smack him upside the skull. But back to the matter at hand…

  “Um…I think our little dinner together will have to be put on hold. I don’t trust Ian to stay away and I would rather have Frisk far away if he comes back.”

 Sans nods in silent agreement. Will pigs start flying if this keeps up?

  “yeah. we can all go to tori’s.”

 You pause and run your fingers through Frisk’s hair. Despite the fact that he hadn’t outright said it, the invitation had been subtly extended to you. The gesture was sweet, but you were more worried about Frisk. It was best to stay here and have Frisk sent back with everyone else.

  “Make sure Frisk gets back safely, alright?” You step forward to hand your child over, but Frisk whimpers and clings tighter. “Come on, Frisk. You and I can see each other some other time, alright? Sans needs to take you home now.”

  “I wanna stay…”

  “come on, kiddo. you heard her.”

 Frisk clutches your clothes for a moment, refusing to be removed from you. It almost hurts to let them go, but you have to remind yourself that it’s for their own protection. Sans reaches out as you slowly peel your child off you, taking them and holding them close to his chest. You sigh, suddenly feeling tired and without an appetite.

  “Please let me know you both get home safely.”

  “…sure.”

 You unlock the door and watch them leave, sorely wishing you could ask about that strange look he continues giving you. Maybe it was best not to think too much on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I decided to try and find what I think Ian looks like (in my head, anyway), so I searched and searched for freakin' EVER. Finally, I found a pretty decent one that I thought was close to what I wanted him to look like.
> 
> Again! You don't have to agree or imagine him the same way, but I like letting you know what my mind comes up with. Oh, and this guy looks more pissed than sad, in my opinion. Not sure why it was titled that.
> 
> Ian: https://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/2181548/609099317/stock-photo-handsome-sad-businessman-is-drinking-beer-and-leaning-on-the-bar-counter-while-sitting-at-the-pub-609099317.jpg


	19. Sans POV: When Pigs Fly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You ask, you get. I know it took a while, but things were a bit hectic and I was itching to finish this properly. I pray that I didn't leave any errors, but....knowing me, I probably did.
> 
> But please, enjoy it! It's extra long, too! Just for you guys!!!!

 I knew what was comin’ the moment Tori opened the door. Her eyes and stance were that of a monster on a mission and it was clear I was the target.

  “hey tori. brought ya a quiche.”

  “I can see that, Sans.” She stepped aside and gestured for me to step inside. “Come in and put it in the kitchen. I’d like to talk to you.”

 Damnit. I should have just given the quiche to someone else. This woman was ready to chew me out in her terrifying, motherly way. With a heavy sigh, I resigned myself to my fate and shuffled inside, flinching as Tori shut the door.

  “Sans!”

 The kid ran downstairs and towards me, smiling and giggling as they ran into my legs and hugged me. Man, it figures that the kiddo was the reason why everything unfolded in my life. First down Underground, within all those resets, now their stubborn mother had to go and invade. A nap sounded so nice right now, away from the angry goat that was ushering Frisk away upstairs.

  “Let’s get that quiche in the kitchen.”

 I begrudgingly followed behind her with dish in hand, sorely tempted to just up and vanish while her back was turned. Go home and curl up under my blankets and not come out for the next fifteen hours or so.

  “Just put it there on the counter, Sans.” She was standing in the center of her spotless kitchen, staring me down. “We need to talk about your behavior at the dinner towards (y/n).”

 I set down the quiche and stuffed my hands into my jacket pockets, turning to look up at her. Might as well get this over with.

  “Sans, you’ve been completely inappropriate and rude towards the young woman and I won’t stand for it. She has been through more than enough, especially for one so young. The last thing she needs is for your smart mouth to come into her life and make it more difficult. She has done nothing wrong to you and your attitude needs to change.”

 I kept my smile, forcing myself to restrain the anger that rose inside me. So even Tori was gonna go and defend this poor excuse of a human being? Figures. Tori had to go and see good in everything, didn’t she?

  “Sans. Are we clear?”

  “tori, i don’t see why I gotta be pals with her. you know as much as the others that she made the kid’s life a living hell.” Her eyes narrowed; my anger grew. “what, you suddenly forget what they looked like when they first fell down? how dirty and beaten up they were? all the bruises and blood, the bandages and the dead look in their eyes?”

 Her demeanor changed, her head bowing in remembrance. She folded her hands in front of her, swallowing thickly while blinking back tears. A tense silence followed, neither of us saying anything. Crap, I didn’t mean to make her cry. And I wasn’t exactly good on comforting people, even if they were my closest friends.

 Before I could attempt to comfort her, she raised her head and looked at me with a stern expression, one I recognized very well. Did she really have go using her Queen Toriel aura right now?

  “Sans, she has been through just as much abuse and pain as Frisk. She has done everything humanly possible to protect and love them. I suggest you get to know her before you go ahead and judge her based on her past mistakes.”

 That last comment hit me square in the face, resonating something within my SOUL. Did I really have any firm foundation for why I went and judged her instantaneously? It was in my nature now, wasn’t it? Being the Judge of the Underground so many times left a mark, sure. But I’m not in a mountain anymore, am I? Maybe Tori had a point, seeing as no one here judged me for my own past. Maybe…

  “Mom!” Frisk shouted from upstairs, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Can we go see my mom?”

 Tori rolled her eyes good-naturedly, then cupped her mouth with her hands to shout back, “Did you finish your homework?”

  “Yes!”

 She shook her head with a smile, hands on her hips. “That dear child…”

 I suddenly saw the way her eyes lit up in mischievous delight, turning to me with a wide grin. Uh oh.

  “Sans can take you!” she called over her shoulder.

  “Really?!”

  “what?!”

 She raised a brow at me, smug as can be. “This is a perfect opportunity, Sans. Take time to know her and see why you should be friends with such a bright SOUL.”

 I could hear Frisk bouncing around upstairs in excitement, probably gettin’ ready to leave. I could only stand there as Tori stared me down with her wide smirk, obviously satisfied with her work. Damnit.

* * *

 

 Frisk giggled breathlessly as I teleported us to the intended address, wincing at the uncomfortable feel of the Void that cursed at me for trying to open an unfamiliar doorway here. It would have been much easier if I had been here before, but I could still manage.

  “alright, kiddo. lead the way.”

 They pulled away from me and started to head up a flight of stairs, trying to go up them two at a time. I couldn’t help but feel the dread that was settling in my bones with each step I took, beginning to regret going along with this. But, then again, it was hard to say no to the joyful kid. Even if they had no idea where they were goin’.

  “careful bud, don’t want either of your moms beatin’ me up if you get hurt.”

 They only hummed in response as they got to the top of the stairs, spinning around to wait for me. Geez, if I had half the energy they had…

  “alright, which apartment number did tori say again?”

 They turned and looked around for a moment before gasping and pointing, running off without a care. I followed behind at my usual pace, chuckling at the way they rushed back to tug me forward in hopes to make me go faster.

  “Sans!” they pouted. “Go faster!”

  “can’t. don’t wanna be pulled over for speeding.”

  “Ugh!”

 We finally made it to the correct door, where I could smell something savory in the air. She must be making something for dinner. I could feel myself already beginning to sweat as I stared at the door, unsure if I wanted to go through with this.

  “Sans. Knock knock.” Frisk whispered eagerly.

 At least the kid here knew how to ease me into this situation. I raised my hand, took a deep breath, and knocked twice. Everything suddenly went quiet from inside the apartment, holding that stillness for a moment too long before footsteps were heard coming to the door. I could see her SOUL through the door was pulsating in a negative emotion. Fear? Nervousness? What was wrong with her?

  “Who’s there?”

 Perfect. She unknowingly walked into that one.

  “doris.”

 Frisk snickered beside me, covering the noise with their hands as their mother replied back.

  “Doris who?” she asked warmly.

  “doris locked, that’s why i’m knocking.”

 There was a snort, followed by the sound of her unlocking the door. It had barely opened before the kid jumped in to embrace her, obviously unable to be patience. There were a few seconds where she seemed stiff and on edge, her SOUL pulsing and shaking, but it all vanished in an instant after she smiled and looked down at Frisk. Odd…

  “I wasn’t expecting company.” She said, turning to me now. “I was just about to eat dinner.”

 Dinner, huh? Looking that tense? No, something was up that she wasn’t willing to say. Probably because of the kid, but I could bet that she wouldn’t have said anything to me if I had come alone.

  “the kid wanted to come by and see you.”

  “Why is it only the two of you?”

 Was she disappointed that I was the one to be at her doorstep and not someone else? Not that I blame her. But she didn’t seem to be upset to see me, right? In fact, she appeared to be pretty relieved, which was weird to think when we didn’t get along.

  “i was giving tori some quiche and the kiddo kinda bombarded me to bring ‘em.” Not really true, but she didn’t need to know that.

 Again, she didn’t seem too hurt at the fact that I was here. It wasn’t like she had forgotten our past encounters, had she? And she couldn’t have forgiven me that quickly, either. What was going on?

  “She didn’t want to come?” she asked, generally curious.

 She bent down and gently picked Frisk up, who didn’t even try to squirm or bounce away as she put them on her hip. She made it look so natural, like this was a normal, everyday thing. If Frisk wasn’t even remotely scared of her or her touch, should I have any real reason to protect them from her?

  “nah. she had some stuff to do, so she just gave me the address and sent me off.”

  “That’s fine.” She grinned. “Why don’t I make you two dinner and we can al-“

  “Holy shit. Frisk?” a voice gaped.

 I watched as (y/n)’s face drained of all color, unconsciously tightening her hold on the child at her hip, that SOUL of hers beginning to throb and twitch. All eyes turned to a male with tussled dark hair, his eyes wide and jaw slack. He looked shocked as his eyes roamed from (y/n) to Frisk to me.

 He looked like Frisk.

  “What makes you think you have any right coming back here?” (y/n) snapped at him.

 The man snapped out of his surprised daze as he continued to take in the three of us, his expression morphing into some sort of disturbed revulsion. Not a huge fan of monsters, was he?

  “Why are you near that thing? Get Frisk away from it.”

 So I was an “it” now, huh? I could feel anger beginning to bubble up inside me at the insult but restrained myself when I saw (y/n) not-so-subtly step closer to me. Was she really going to stand up to this guy? For me? Even with how I treated her?

  “Ian, you need to leave. I told you to stay away for a reason.” she harshly commanded.

 Ian…nice to know who I was going to throw in the Void later.

 Ian was frozen, glaring at the sight of a monster and a protective mother, who was cradling Frisk in such a manner that it gave me a revelation: (y/n) wasn’t perfect, but she would do _anything_ for her own flesh and blood. She was just like Tori, just like me, when someone threatened a person we loved.

  “I should’ve seen this coming, really. You, keeping Frisk away from me. You, hangin’ around those monster things. It’s nothing too shocking, really.”

  “Frisk deserves a better father figure than you, Ian. Take Frisk inside, Sans.” she said as she set the kid down beside me, her eyes still trained on Ian. “Please.”

 It was then that Ian moved, taking a step forward as his entire face became pinched in fury. I put my hand on Frisk’s shoulder, where I could feel them physically shaking, and began to guide them into the open apartment. The kid didn’t need to see or hear this.

  “Don’t let that thing touch them!”

  “Good-bye Ian.”

 I glared over my shoulder, sorely tempted to just conjure up a nice, solid bone right through that ugly mug of his as (y/n) turned her back on him, following behind me. I saw him move towards us, clearly outraged as he grabbed (y/n) and tugged her around, holding her in place. I watched as he leaned in close, too close, and muttered something under his breath (that was probably best, seeing as the kid was right here). And I could see the way she didn’t back down and stood her ground, staring him down, even as her SOUL quivered under his gaze.

 Was I allowed to step in and stop this? Would (y/n) get upset for interfering in her personal life? It wasn’t my business if her baby daddy pushed himself in her life, right? Then again, it would be nice to just mess with him a bit, right? Just to scare him off and keep him away from the kid and their mom.

  “let her go.”

 Burning eyes turned my way. “I don’t think I was talking to you, was I? Stay out of this.”

 I shrugged. “don’t think it really matters now, does it?”

 (y/n) turned her head to look at me (To tell me to stop? To plead for my help?) and went pale, her eyes going wide. Oh, I recognize that look from the park and the bar, where she had been uncomfortable at seeing nothing but dark eyesockets. Even then, she hadn’t backed down like most people. Even then, her DETERMINATION settled into her very bones and held her where she stood.

 Ian yanked her into him, a daring gleam in his eye. “(y/n), tell your little pet off before things get worse.”

  “that a threat, pal?”

 On instinct, my magic flared to life, wanting to get rid of the menacing aura. I snuffed it out quickly, waiting to see what this guy would do. I couldn’t just use any of my bone attacks when (y/n) was that close to him, could I? Probably shouldn’t risk it. A Gaster Blaster was far too hazardous in this situation, too, so options were limited here.

  “You’re really gonna challenge me?” He laughed, then leaned in closer to (y/n). “You let these things do the fighting for you now? Are you that much of a coward?”

 Those little comments of his was starting to irritate me. I could feel my magic practically begging to be free and teach this pathetic human a lesson. I hurriedly shoved it down once more, if only to figure out a better way to go about getting her out of the way.

  “let her go.” I repeated.

 His horrid excuse of a SOUL, shriveled and nothing more than a dull purple that may have once been beautiful, vibrated intensely before becoming a shade darker. Looks like this one wanted to really face against me; I was up for a good fight. It wasn’t until she visibly flinched that I realized that he was hurting her. Intentionally. In front of Frisk.

 I could almost hear my SOUL screeching to destroy him.

  “Give me my kid and I’ll get out of here.” he demanded.

 Well, that’s one way to piss me off.

  “ **L e t  h e r  g o .** ”

 I could taste the magic around me as I let it loose, raising my hand to focus my aim at Ian. My fingers twitched in agitation when he seemed to read my movements and readily pulled (y/n) in front of him and spun her around to face me, smirking at me over her head. That smug bastard was asking for a bad time.

  “You certainly look the part of a monster, but you just talk big.”

 He wanted to taunt me now, hm? Ironic how this human used his big mouth for empty threats, wasn’t it?

  “ **H e h .  Y o u  a s k e d  f o r  i t .** ”

 Magic burst forth in violent glee, surrounding Ian’s body before he has any chance of making a run for it. The look on his face is priceless. I flick my hand to the side, dragging him away from (y/n), who slightly surprises me by running to my side instead of hiding within her apartment. I can feel Frisk’s presence move closer and brush a hand against my leg: a silent reminder to keep me from unleashing my full rage on this disgusting being within my grasp. All it would take was a flick of my hand and he would be cast into the Void, never to return to bother anyone else…

  “Guess you learned your lesson, hm?”

(y/n)’s voice brings me back to reality. I glance over to see Frisk gripping her leg, her hand gently touching the top of his head while her eyes are narrowed in satisfaction. It eases me to see her SOUL isn’t shaking anymore. All because I happened to be here, at the right time. The thought makes me laugh under my breath.

  “ **S t a y  a w a y  f r o m  h e r ,  g o t  i t ?  O t h e r w i s e  y o u  w o n ‘ t  l i k e  w h a t  h a p p e n s .** ”

 Drawing my magic back in, I smirked as gravity sucked him back down to earth, landing hard on the concrete ground. Not exactly the Void, but still able to fulfill my want to show what he was up against. He was unsteady as he got to his feet, glaring at me with utter loathing and contempt before turning to (y/n).

 He looks like a certain child I knew that was filled with LOVE.

  “You and your little friend there are gonna regret that, (y/n).” Two red SOULs shudder in response beside me. “You won’t like what happens when we see each other again. Watch your back, bitch.”

 He had quite the mouth on him, didn’t he? I shouldn’t be shocked that he said all of that in front of his own kid, but whatever. The guy was a piece of trash from the get-go.

 He bolts after his little speech and I couldn’t be happier to have him out of our sight. I turn to see (y/n) picking up Frisk, both of them grasping for the comfort of the other. I stand there and stare as she steps inside her home with them, unable to ignore the way their SOULs resonate with one another. Tori’s words flit through my head again as I go in after them, moving aside as she moves to lock her door.

 Silence ensues. Should I say something? Should I leave them be for now?

  I decide to go with: “you okay there?”

 Her eyes look through me, forcing a small smile onto her face. “I’ve been better.”

 Now what do I say? Figures that Tori had to be right about all this and leave me in this tense situation. What could I possibly say or do that would make these two better? Nothing comes to mind, besides the fact that Tori and Papyrus would have done a much better job at comforting them.

  “…yeah.”

 She inhales and exhales slowly, her cheek atop Frisk’s head as she unconsciously rocked them. I allow her a moment to breathe, seeing as I don’t know what else to do.

  “Thanks for that, by the way.” She speaks up quietly. “That could have gone a lot worse if you hadn’t been here.”

 Now she was thanking me, too? After all the crap I’d pulled, after everything I did and said to her? I study her face in bewildered awe, wondering if there’s going to be some sort of catch. There’s no way she would just up and say that…right?

 Then again, Frisk did the same thing Underground, no matter what happened to them. Did Frisk get it from their mom, then?

  “don’t mention it.” I blurt out, seeing as I had just been staring and hadn’t replied. “least I could do, i guess.”

 She gives me a weird look, but it quickly changes into a sincere smile. Did I say the right thing, then?

  “Um…I think our little dinner together will have to be put on hold. I don’t trust Ian,” The mention of him makes both of us grimace. “to stay away and I would rather have Frisk far away if he comes back.”

 I nod in agreement before my mind catches up with her words. Wait. _Just_ Frisk? What about her? There’s no way any of us, including myself, would allow her to stay here and be in the path of danger. But I couldn’t just go saying that like we were suddenly close. Would Tori kill me if I returned with just the traumatized kid and not their mother? Maybe I could ask in an off-hand sort of way?

  “yeah. we can all go to tori’s.”

 She blinks at me. Was that too forward or too subtle? Instead of answering, she begins to shift her fingers through her child’s hair, appearing to be contemplating my words.

  “Make sure Frisk gets back safely, alright?”

 I scramble for words, hoping to convince her to come along with us, but I pause when I take note of the look in her eyes. Tori had those eyes back in the Underground, when she knew hope was futile and still held onto it. Those were the eyes of a DETERMINED mother on a mission, intending to keep her child safe, first and foremost.

 I shut up as she tries to pry Frisk off of her, but the poor kid isn’t havin’ any of it. They grasp at her and whimper, refusing to be removed.

  “Come on, Frisk. You and I can see each other some other time, alright? Sans needs to take you home now.”

  “I wanna stay…”

 Watching the interaction makes a firm rock of guilt drop into my bones, once realizing how right Tori was in saying (y/n) had done everything a true mother would to protect Frisk. It also meant that I had been in the wrong this whole time, trying to keep them apart. They needed each other, just as I needed Papyrus or as Alphys needed Undyne. This was a relationship that ran just as deep and neither of them would let anything get between them.

 And, right now, she was asking me to take her job, at least for now.

  “come on, kiddo you heard her.”

 I reached out as she slowly got Frisk to let her go, hating the way both reluctantly parted ways. This was torturous to witness. She sets them into my arms before sighing, her entire being sagging and her SOUL dimming the slightest bit. Her eyes rest on Frisk for a moment longer, as if she’s not going to ever see them again, then looks at me.

 Exhaustion.

 Pain.

 And something else I can’t name.

  “Please let me know you both get home safely.”

 She just had to throw that curveball at me, didn’t she?

  “…sure.”

 She goes and unlocks the door, then watches us leave. I don’t even have the gall to look back, unsure if I would be able to handle the tormented expression that I knew would be looking back at me.


	20. No means NO

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one came out as easily as melted butter. 
> 
> You guys are so adorable, by the way. I'm so glad you all loved seeing Sans POV.
> 
> Enjoy this one!!!

 The next day welcomes you with heavy clouds and an even heavier weight on your shoulders. You lay in bed after turning off your alarm, seriously considering calling out sick and curling up in bed. You need some time to recuperate after yesterday and the last thing you want to do is deal with your stupid boss.

  _Ding!_

  **Toriel: (y/n), I just want to let you know that my door is always open to you. Have a lovely day at work, my dear.**

 The text has such perfect timing that you almost laugh. It’s exactly the kind of motivation you need for a day like this, giving you that push out of bed and sending you straight to the bathroom. You get ready for work in a bit of a haze but manage to get out the door and to your car without any problems.

  _Ding!_

  **Undying Undyne: HEY PUNK! Alphys says you can sleepover any time! Just let us know and we’ll prepare the anime and junk food!!!**

 You can’t help but laugh at the name and the adjoined text, a warmth blooming inside you at the way this new family of yours was reaching out without being overbearing or intrusive. What had you done to deserve such a beautiful family?

 As you’re heading down to work, your phone dings twice more. You wait until you find a parking spot before looking into them, finding one to be from sweet Papyrus and shy Alphys.

  **THEGR8TPAPYRUS: FRISK’S MOM! PLEASE DON’T HESITATE TO STOP BY FOR SOME OF MY INFAMOUS SPAGHETTI SOME TIME! YOU WOULD BE HONORED TO TASTE SUCH A DELICACY!**

You smile as you reread the message, that warmth in your chest becoming bigger.

  **Alphys: Undyne probably already told you, but I just wanted to make sure you knew it was okay to stay here whenever you need. <3 <3 <3 (^_^)**

 Now you’re feeling a huge lump getting stuck in your throat. Crap, you couldn’t walk into work while you were sobbing your heart out. Ugh, reel it back before things get messy. You backtrack to look at all your messages, scrolling through to find Traci and text her that you would be a few minutes. But then your eyes spot an unsaved number, one that had texted you last night. You stared at it for a second, then tap and open it.

  **XXX-XXXX: hey its sans**

**XXX-XXXX: just letting ya know the kid and i got back safe**

**You: That quickly? How???**

**XXX-XXXX: shortcut**

**You: …what’s that supposed to mean?**

**XXX-XXXX: night**

And that had been the end of that awkward conversation, but it had happened, regardless. But he had done what you had asked, and the gesture was one you were grateful for, if not confused by. One moment he’s threatening you and telling you to stay away from Frisk, the next he’s protecting you from an abusive jerk and helping you. It’s completely out of left field and you’ve already made sure to talk to that skeleton about it later.

  _Ding!_

  **Traci: Where are youuuuuuuu**

**You: I’m heading in right now, keep your panties on!**

 Once you get to your floor (Kathy acknowledges with a glance and a raised eyebrow, but nothing else), you’re only able to step out of the elevator before stopping on your way to your desk. Traci is standing beside said desk, one hand on her hip and poking her thumb in the direction of the biggest bouquet of flowers you’ve ever seen, a questioning smirk on her face.

 You can’t tear your eyes away as you approach her, jaw dropped.

  “Wanna explain this?”

 You shake in your head in wonder. “I…I have no clue.”

  “Well, there was a little card with your name on it attached, but I decided to be a nice friend and wait for you to come open it.”

  “A card? Where?” you asked excitedly.

 She points out a certain rose that has a little envelope tied to it and grin, snatching it up and ripping it open. Who could it possibly be from? Toriel? Frisk? Papyrus?

 Your eyes scan over the little note before frowning at the signature at the bottom. Sneering, you roll your eyes and flick the note over to Traci, who had been trying to read it over your shoulder. Your skin crawled as your eyes took in the lovely flowers once more, half-tempted to throw them out a window.

 Traci is speechless for a few moments before her eyes look up from the note with a groan.

  “Kris Romaine? Really?”

  “Yep.” You go over and flop into your chair. “Figures.”

  “I thought it was gonna be some hottie wanting to take you out for some romantic getaway, not…Romaine.”

 You love this woman and the way she sees things as you do. Literally anyone else in this building would have been swooning at the sight of these on their desk.

  “Guess today just isn’t my lucky day.” You give her a sideways glance. “Not that anyone would ever want to go and date someone like me, Trac’.”

  “Oh, come on!” She scoffed. “You’re young, super attractive, you got your life together! Who _wouldn’t_ want to date someone like you?”

  “How about the ones who have a brain? And don’t creep on me?” you sigh.

  “True. You got Creeper Boss and Creepier Ex going after you, but no cuties. You need a cutie.”

 Okay, time to change the subject before she went all ‘Ms. Matchmaker’ on you again.

  “Frisk came by my house yesterday.”

  “Really? That’s awesome! Did Toriel want to bring them over or did you ask?”

 You began to spin around in your chair. “Actually, Frisk asked, and Sans brought them over.”

  “What.” She reached out and grabbed your chair to have you face her properly. “The same Sans guy who we saw at the bar and was a total douchebag to us? _That_ Sans?”

  “Yeah. And then Ian showed up a few seconds after that.”

 Her eyes go wide. “ _What_.”

  “Yeah…it was a long day yesterday.”

 She poked the top of your head and narrowed her eyes. “You and me. During lunch. I want to know everything.”

 You couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, yes. Now get to work before you get us both in trouble.”

 She turned and started going in the direction of her workspace but spun around at the last second and pointed at you.

  “Don’t even try backing out of it either, missy!”

  “GO!” You shouted back with a laugh.

 Work goes by without any trace of your weirdo of a boss, which is suspicious and unsettling. It isn’t until you’re getting ready to head out for lunch that he comes walking up to your desk, startling you.

  “Mr. Romaine!”

  “(y/n). You look lovely today.”

 One day. Couldn’t he go just one day without showing his face to you? It would be wonderful if he could just stay in his fancy broom closet of an office and leave you be for just one day.

  “I only have an hour lunch and I promised Traci we would go together, so I’m kinda in a rush.” you state.

  “I just wanted to take a moment of your time.” His smile grew as he gazed down at the bouquet that still sat at your desk. “Did you like them?”

 The only reason they were still here and not sitting at the bottom of a trash bin is because you found them to be too beautiful to throw out. Ugh.

  “Mr. Romaine, you shouldn’t be doing these sorts of things.”

  “What, pursuing you?”

 This man just didn’t get the hint, did he? Had he simply ignored your previous rejects and believed you were only “playing hard to get”? Would it even make a difference if you told him off again?

  “(y/n)! Ready to go?”

 Traci, you goddess of everything that is good in the world.

  “Coming!” you called back.

 A hand wrapped loosely around your arm, pulling you back at bit. Your skin prickled in aggravation as you glared at him.

  “(y/n), I hope you can at least accept going out for drinks sometime.”

 He can beg all he wants, but that won’t change anything. Traci calls out to you again, trying to get you away from the situation.

  “I doubt that, Kris.” you hiss, yanking your arm from his grip.

 You and Traci head to the elevator in silence, feeling the constant stare of your boss on your backs. Would you ever get a minute to just relax from all this craziness?

 The moment the elevator doors close, Traci turns to you, hands hovering over your shoulders.

  “Did he hurt you? Are you okay? What’d he say?” she says in one breath.

  “…I just want to have a peaceful day at work today. Was that too much to ask for, Traci?” You leaned your head against the cool elevator wall. “Do people not know what ‘no, I don’t want to date you’ means anymore? I’m not interested and that’s not going to change overnight just because of some stupid plants!”

 She chuckles and presses the button for the lobby. “You got this, girl. He’ll get the message eventually. And you know I always got your back.”

  “…I need a drink.”


	21. Let's Get Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, this one has destroyed me. I don't like it, but it's going to be posted anyway. I apologize if it's not the greatest chapter, but this is just meant to be a little chapter about everyone getting to know one another and relaxing.
> 
> Love your awesome comments, you guys. And all these Kudos are making my head spin. Like...whoa.

   “And you’re sure we don’t need to make anything, my dear? We wouldn’t min- “

  “Toriel.” You interrupt, smiling as you held your phone close to your face. “If you can all just come over and help make food with me here, that’s all I need. The more, the better.”

  “Very well. We’ll be there soon.”

  “I can’t wait.” you chimed.

 You said your good-byes and hung up, leaving you to sigh in relief and lean your head against your fridge door. Today was a day off from your horrid job, which had given you the greatest idea of inviting your family over to a sweet brunch. You would have loved to have Traci join you all and introduce her to everyone, but she couldn’t get off today and was stuck at her desk for the day. She was still adamant in meeting your new family, so you weren’t too upset over it.

 You were impatiently taking out any sort of ingredient you could think of, waiting for the wondrous knock on your door. You didn’t just want to have them all over here, you _needed_ it. With all the craziness that had been going on, you could feel the stress that was building up inside you. You desperately needed family around you, surrounding you and your apartment with warmth and harmony.

 It took only a few more minutes before your ears picked up the sound of shouting and laughter, all of them familiar voices. Smiling fondly at the noise, you went and opened your door, poking your head out to see everyone heading over. Undyne, Papyrus and Frisk appeared to be in a heated game of rock-paper-scissors while Sans and Alphys were talking while looking at something on her phone. Toriel just looked exasperated at the three behind her, rolling her eyes at the cry of dismay Papyrus let out for losing another round.

 She brightened when she spotted your face.

  “(y/n)! Hello, my dear.”

 All eyes turned to you, followed by the scurrying feet of your child as they made a beeline for you. You bent down and scooped them up, your heart warming at their touch. This day was what you needed and nothing would ruin it, no matter what.

  “Come in, guys. I got out stuff, but I didn’t know what you all wanted to make.”

  “SPAGHETTI!”

  “No way, dude! BACON!”

  “Uh…um…maybe we should let (y/n) c-choose. It _is_ her h-house.”

 Toriel sighed as you closed the door. “Oh my…”

  “How about we do all of that, plus some chocolate chip pancakes?”

  “Pancakes!” Frisk shouted in triumph.

 You laughed, setting them down. “Then it looks like I’d better get started.”

  “Allow me to at least help you.” Toriel piped in. “It would be unfair for you to do everything while we all sit around.”

  “CAN I MAKE THE SPAGHETTI?”

 You laughed. “Sure, that sounds perfect. You can all relax, make yourselves at home.”

  “And don’t break anything.” Toriel huffed as she followed you into the kitchen.

 You gestured to the counters crowded with ingredients, turning to the goat and skeleton. You were already feeling at ease and you were so excited to cook with two of your family members, something you’d never done before. This was going to be so fun.

  “What would you like to make, Toriel?”

  “Well…would it be alright if I took the pancakes?”

  “That’s fine. Papyrus, let’s find you some noodles and some tomato sauce, okay?”

 You left Toriel to her own devices, guiding Papyrus over to your cabinet. He was bouncing up and down as you opened it and began rummaging around, hoping you had at least one box of noodles in here somewhere.

  “Ah, here we are.” You pulled it out and held it out to him before diving back in to look for a can of tomato sauce. “Go ahead and start those, Papyrus. I’ll keep looking for the sauce.”

  “OF COURSE!”

 You watched as he hopped around and opened cabinets to find a pot, Toriel already having found a pan and was mixing things together in a glass bowl. She looked at ease, but completely focused, as she cracked an egg into the mix and kept stirring. Suddenly, she paused and looked up at you with an odd look on her pretty face.

  “Um…(y/n), dear…”

  “Is something wrong, Toriel? Did you need something?” you asked, going into your fridge to grab a package of bacon.

  “No, no. I was just wondering if it would be alright if I put a little something in these. Would that be okay?”

  “Go right ahead. If I have it, of course.”

 Her eyes glinted with amusement and didn’t say anything, going back to stirring. You frowned in confusion for a second before mentally shrugging it off and going about making this bacon.

 It was strange to have so many people in your apartment, but the sound of Undyne talking animatedly with Alphys and seeing Sans sitting with Frisk nearly brought tears to your eyes. You blinked when Sans’ eyes flickered your way, eyelights bright and curious. You turned back to the task at hand, also managing to stop Papyrus from burning one of his gloves in the process and handing him the tomato sauce you had found.

 Smells began to waft throughout your home, food started to stack on platters. The two monsters that were in the kitchen with you seemed to easily move about your kitchen, going around and making food without once bumping into each other or having any issues. It was like something out of a movie.

 A tug on your shirt brought you out of your thoughts and you looked down to smile at your child’s sweet face.

  “Can I help, mom?”

 Your heart melted at the question. “We’re almost done, but you know what you can do?”

  “What?”

 They went on tip toe as you leaned down, your eyes glancing up at the skeleton that was lazing on your couch and watching the two of you with that look on his face that you still couldn’t read.

  “You can tell me what Sans and Alphys like. They didn’t say what they wanted.”

 They giggled. “Alphys likes fruit.”

 A fruit salad, maybe? You needed to eat those strawberries in the fridge before they went bad, anyway. That works.

  “What about Sans?” you whispered.

 They looked at you as if they were about to reveal the best joke in the world.

  “Ketchup.” they breathed out, then ran off to jump on Undyne’s lap.

 You were left bent over, beyond puzzled by the response. Your eyes landed on the skeleton as you stood upright again, brows furrowed. He had his head leaned back, sockets closed ( _HOW?_ ) and hands in his hoodie, but seemed to almost sense your gaze on him and slowly opened one eye and set it on you. You both stared at one another for a moment too long before he seemed to come to some sort of conclusion in his head, sliding off the couch and to his feet.

 He approached you, his gait unrushed and almost lethargic, and gave a half-hearted grin.

  “i’m guessin’ the kid said somethin’ to you.”

  “Um, yeah.” You raised a brow and dared yourself to ask, “Do you really like ketchup or were they just messing with me?”

 His grin widened, his eyes getting bright at the question.

  “there’s a lot you gotta _ketchup_ on, huh?”

 And then he proceeded to just walk away without giving any context, like what he said made perfect sense. Had he been trying to say something within that strange comment?

  “Food’s ready!” Toriel called out.

 You decided to just add that to your list of things you need to ask the weird skeleton monster later. Your stomach was growling, and you wanted to sit with your child again, to just enjoy and appreciate what you had with you.


	22. Don't Touch Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is short, but important. You'll see why.
> 
> Thank you all for reading!

 It’s nearly been an entire month since your little brunch gathering with your family, since seeing Ian’s stupid face and since Romaine attempting to get into your pants. As the weeks have gone by, you had consistently gone to Toriel’s, to Undyne’s (you found out that Alphys and Undyne were an actual couple and lived in the same place) and even been to Papyrus and Sans’ place to try out that amazing Italian dish Paps seemed so fond of. You had even been able to bring Traci over and introduce them all to her, where she was warmly welcomed.

 But just because you had gotten used to being a part of a family and had your child by your side again, didn’t mean you got to unwind. Romaine hadn’t gotten the message from you, Ian could be anywhere, and you were getting buried in your paperwork.

 Stressed couldn’t even remotely begin to describe how you were feeling.

 But you pushed through, putting your head high as you went about your life and tried to keep it all balanced. It was nice to finally have a family to back you up and Traci did all she could to lighten the load from your shoulders. You were forever grateful for them.

 Romaine had begun to leave little gifts for you on your desk, too. Flowers, chocolates (you refused to eat those, though you were sorely tempted to), extravagant cards even. Of course, your coworkers noticed and started raising eyebrows and asking questions, wondering if you had gone and gotten yourself a lover. You just rolled your eyes and dropped the items into your trash bin without blinking.

 Traci didn’t say anything, but you could tell she was starting to worry about you. You were doing your best to keep it together and not let your cracks show, but things were piling, and you were falling behind, unable to keep up. It was taking a toll on, not only your body, but your mental health as well. You knew you couldn’t keep this up much longer, not unless something changed.

 And something does change, ever so slightly.

 You’re getting ready to leave for the day, exhausted to the point of fainting, and want nothing more than to fall into bed and not move for the next ten hours or so. You double check your bag, find yourself satisfied that you had everything, and moved to turn and head for the elevator. Instead, your face hits a chest and you’re snapped out of your half-awake state. You internally groan, recognizing that expensive cologne.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Romaine. I didn’t see you there.”

  “I got in your way, so no need to apologize.”

 He doesn’t move and you finally just sigh and look up at him in resignation, finding yourself looking at the pleased expression of your boss. What did he have up his sleeve this time?

  “What do you want, Kris?” you tiredly ask.

 He doesn’t seem very fazed by you calling him by his first name, his smile becoming unsettling. What the world did he want?

  “I was hoping you would join me for a drink. You seem to be so caught up in everything else that you don’t seem to have time for anything lately. Not even yourself.”

 He thought this was going to work a dozenth time? You didn’t have the time or energy for this and your bed was calling your name. You needed to use what little energy you had left to drive home, damnit.

  “Kris, I’m too exhausted and I still need to drive. The last thing I want to do is go out for drinks.” Especially with him. “I’m sure one of your many coworkers would be happy to go.”

 You walk around him, bag over your shoulder and head held as high as you could. You only managed to get to the elevator and press the button to call it before he came up beside you again. Persistent little bastard, wasn’t he?

  “(y/n), please.” He put a hand on your shoulder, only for you to brush it off. “I think even you deserve to unwind a bit and relax. Have a drink, have some nice company. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

 You tensed at the way he got closer as he said that last bit, his mouth getting much too close to your ear. Would you be able to excuse exhaustion for punching his lights out? There were cameras and he was practically exuding creeper vibes. Surely you wouldn’t be the one to get in troub-

 A hand had suddenly wandered around your waist, tugging you into him and pressing the two of you uncomfortably close. Your tired mind snapped to attention at the close contact and you struggled out of his grip, shoving away from you. The elevator doors dinged and opened a moment later and you scrambled inside, gritting your teeth as you repeatedly pressed the lobby button.

 Romaine had gotten to his feet as the elevator started to close, his face contorted into shocked anger. You stared him right in the eye as they closed in his face, your body still crawling from having been touched by him so randomly.

  “Don’t touch me ever again, Kris. Try anything like that here, I’ll make sure to hand that camera footage to the police.”

 He didn’t have time to reply as the elevator closed and started descending, giving you a few seconds to breathe and collect yourself. That disturbing shiver that had sunk itself into your spine was running around your body now, making goosebumps rise. Had that really just happened? Had he just tried to make a move on you? Had he really put his hands on you and think it would be alright? Not only had it been without your consent, but it had been at work. Did this guy not care about either of your jobs?

 The elevator doors opened, and your feet moved of their own accord, making their way to the door. You didn’t get far when a hand brushed your arm, snapping you back into reality. Without thinking, you spun around, and your hand went and backhanded…

  “Kathy?”

  “…I think you and I need to talk soon.” She didn’t even seem upset that you had just attacked her. “Call me so we can meet up.”

 You watched her leave, a lump forming in your throat and your body shaking. She wanted to have you guys meet up again? Well, you had just hit her, so she had the right to make demands. She hadn’t been very surprised at your outburst, but that didn’t mean anything…right?

 You didn’t need to have Kathy be your therapist a second time around.


	23. Can't Catch a Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for taking so long in posting this chapter, but I've been working almost every day and catching up on sleep when I can. But I finally finished this and I'm hoping to post another by the end of the day!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Enjoy~

 You, as a grown woman, decide to not go in for work for the next three days. You use your sick days without even thinking about it, uncaring at this point, so long as it meant you got to be away from your boss. You don’t leave your apartment for those three days, using that time to rest and take care of yourself. A few times, you find yourself staring at Kathy’s number, sorely tempted to just call her and beg her to come over, but you restrain the urge and distract yourself with something else.

 You didn’t realize that you hadn’t told anyone that you were holing yourself up in your home until Traci texted you on your second day, wondering why you were absent from work. You nearly told her everything in one long text, but decided it was best to tell her face to face. You promised you would fill her in later and she begrudgingly allowed it and left you alone. She always knew when to back off and give you space.

 But on your third day, you did not expect a knock at your door. You were lounging on the couch with a half-eaten package of Oreos, watching a bunch of shows on Netflix in a mindless manner. You eyed the door for a moment, wondering if it was Traci herself, come to gift you with her presence. You wouldn’t mind that right now.

 Another knock, louder this time, followed by a familiar voice that was _not_ Traci:

  “Open the damn door, woman!”

 You shot up from the couch and cursed when your Oreos went everywhere on your floor. What a waste.

  “Undyne?” you called out.

  “Who else would it be? Open up!”

 You stepped over the mess you’d made and unlocked your door, barely managing to open it before you were enveloped in a scaly, warm hug.

  “Damnit, dude. You need to stop freakin’ us all out.”

 Taken aback by the embrace, you sort of just stood there and took it. The other part that shocked you was the skeleton monster that you could see over Undyne’s shoulder, his hands in his pockets as he awkwardly stood in your doorway.

  “What are you two doing here?” you questioned, pulling away.

  “traci called all of us.” Sans answered.

  “She hasn’t had time to check up on you properly, so she asked one of us to go in her place.” The fish monster started to turn you this way and that by your shoulders, her one eye roaming over you. “You aren’t hurt or anything. At least not physically.”

  “but something happened, didn’t it?”

 Crap. Was it that obvious? You were just dressed in sweatpants and a tank top, but it wasn’t like you were crying or anything.

 Undyne’s grip tightened on your shoulders. “Was it that douchebag Ian again?”

  “No, thankfully. I haven’t seen him for a while now.”

 You almost missed the hint of a smirk that came on Sans’ face.

  “Then was it someone else? One of Ian’s guys?”

 It was best to just let them in on everything; you could trust your family with anything.

 With a sigh, you invited them inside and locked the door while they went to sit down. You winced when you heard a crunch.

  “Uh…is there a reason Oreos are all over the floor?”

  “Oops, I almost forgot about that. Hold on, I’ll cl- “

 You stopped short as your mess was covered in blue and cleaned itself up, all arranged into the package and set carefully on the table.

  “they should be fine to eat.” Sans flopped nonchalantly into your couch. “why don’t ya sit down and start from the beginning?”

 You didn’t exactly have anywhere else to sit besides your couch, which Undyne and Sans were both filling. You moved to go grab a chair from your table, but Sans seemed to read your mind before you could even take three steps, his magic dragging one of the chairs over to you. You moved aside as it settled down to face the couch, your eyes glancing at the skeleton. His colorful pupil blinked out of existence and filled with those white eyelights, his magic dissipating.

 You sat down.

  “So, what’s goin’ on?”

You winced. Where should you start with this…complication?

  “the kid has been wondering where you’ve been. same with tori.”

  “We’ve all been worried, (y/n). You know we can help.”

 They were just trying to be there for you. They would always have your back. So why were you so uncertain about telling them about Romaine?

  “(y/n).” You looked up into those eyesockets, those white eyelights seemingly gentle. How did two pinpricks of lights manage to convey any sort of emotion so easily? “relax.”

 A smile, although faint, came onto your face at the attempt at kindness. You took a deep breath and looked up at the two monsters before you.

  “When I was first hired, it was fine. But it didn’t take long…”

* * *

 

 You jumped as, the moment you finished your little story, Undyne shot to her feet and slammed her fists through your coffee table, efficiently destroying it. Your bag of Oreos spilled all over the floor once more, adding to the mess.

  “Undyne, I actually liked that table.”

  “I wish this had been his head.” she growled.

 Sans had the appearance of ease, but you could see how tense his mouth was. You could barely see his eyelights, staring off into the distance.

  “you can’t keep tolerating him. it’s plain as day that he doesn’t like being told no.” Sans frowned. “he’ll do whatever he wants, when he wants.”

  “I swear, I’m gonna march up to your building and barge into his office and mash a stapler through his eyes.”

 Uh oh. “Undyne, don’t do anything rash. I can handle this.”

 Her hands abruptly burned with magic, something starting to form in both hands. She glowered down at you, but you knew her anger was directed at your boss, not you.

  “Sans is right. He’s a disgusting excuse for a human and the world would be better without him.”

  “Undyne. I’m an adult and I can and will take care of this. If I need help, I can go to any of you.”

 She stared you down with her eye, searching for something. After a few tense moments, the magic faded, and her fists uncurled. She opened her mouth-

 Four loud bangs on your door interrupted the fish monster, then a furious snarl. All three of you turned to the noise, which continued as you slowly got up from your chair.

  “don’t answer it.” Sans demanded.

  “Why not?”

  “just don’t.”

 The person outside your door spoke, answering your question.

  “ _Open up, ya pathetic-_ “ Bang! “ _Stupid-_ “ Bang! “ _Bitch!_ ” BANG!

 Dread stabbed and settled into your being at the voice and the words. Why must he be here, right now?

  “…is that who I think it is?” Undyne muttered.

  “yeah, that’s him.”

 You watched in silence as Sans got up off the couch, eyes dark, making that dread sink even further.

  “Sans, don’t. Let me answer it.”

  “…we’ll be right behind you.” he calmly stated.

 Your body felt numb as the banging kept going, your feet moving forward to approach the door. You could feel the two come up behind you, their presence somewhat soothing as your body went on autopilot and opened the door. Ian stood there, hair disheveled and naked from the waist up, a crushed beer can in one hand.

  “Leave, Ian. I told you to stay away.”

 His hazy eyes took in your companions before returning to you with a smirk. He gave a short laugh and proceeded to toss the can at your face. He was too drunk to aim correctly, and it merely skimmed your shoulder.

  “You usin’ them as bodyguards or somethin’? Weak and worthless as ever, hm?” he drawled.

 For one so intoxicated, he moved faster than you recall him being able to. He reached and grabbed you by the collar of your tank top, yanking you towards him with a cheeky grin. You felt two thick pulses from behind you; magic, no doubt. Ian’s grip slackened as he became outlined with blue, frozen in place. Undyne walked up beside you, a shimmering blue spear pointed at Ian’s neck.

  “If anyone’s weak and worthless here, it’d be you.” She sneered. “Humans like you shouldn’t exist.”

 You twitched when boney fingers wrapped around your wrist and tugged you away from Ian’s frozen form but didn’t resist as Sans brought you over and behind him. His other hand was raised, blue magic glowing and vibrating. His pupil was bright and flashing, focused on the man under his control. You could see a grim smile on his face.

  “ **Y o u  w e r e  w a r n e d ,  r e m e m b e r ?** ”

  “Sans. Don’t.” His extended hand flexed in restraint. “At least not now.”

  Tense silence. “…looks like she saved your sorry ass. this time.”

 His magic was gone in the next instant, but Undyne held her magical spear closer as Ian was freed, sharp teeth bared. He stood there with a dazed look in his eyes, unmoving as the spear came dangerously close to his jugular, eyes locked on you.

  “You’re no better than these creatures. I’ll enjoy turning them to dust in front of you.”

 That was such a nasty thing to threaten, but it wasn’t shocking when coming from him. The thing that made you curl your hands into fists was that he would try everything to make that threat come true.

  “Don’t do anything stupid, Ian, and stay away from me and my family.”

 He just chuckled darkly and backed away from Undyne’s spear, walking away with unsteady steps.


	24. The Ups and Downs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised! Here you are!
> 
> Have a safe 4th of July (for those of you whom celebrate it)!
> 
> Please enjoy~

 Once the door was shut and locked, you were hit by a wave of mental exhaustion. Undyne and Sans were behind you, watching as you sighed and leaned your forehead against the door.

  “Men are so stupid.” Undyne grumbled.

  “can’t exactly disagree with ya there.”

 You smiled weakly and turned to face them, thankful for their attempts to lighten the mood. It didn’t work, but it was the thought that counts.

  “I’m sorry you had to witness all that.”

 Undyne waved her hand around in the air as if she were brushing your apology away. She no longer had a spear, you noticed.

  “There’s no reason to say sorry, ya dork. We’re glad we were here.”

 Running a hand through your hair, you pressed your back into the door. Undyne glanced over her shoulder and winced, pointing to your living room.

  “Uh…sorry for the coffee table though. I’ll get you a new one.”

 You had forgotten about that, honestly.

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “i’ll clean it up.” Sans offered.

 You would rather not have to deal with cleaning that mess up, so you weren’t going to argue with him there.

  “Thanks. Anyone want a drink?” You offered, making your way into the kitchen. “I know I need one after all that.”

  “Heck yeah!” Undyne followed after you. “Whatcha got?”

 You laughed at her exuberance and went into your cabinets, pulling out a few bottles of wine that you’d been saving for special occasions. This counted, right?

  “Dude, this stuff looks fancy.”

  “It is.” You noticed a lack of skeleton. “Where’d Sans go?”

 He walked slowly in at that moment, a smile on his face. Was he able to read your mind or did he just come in at the most opportune time?

  “sorry, was cleaning up that mess.”

 Wait, already?

  “Where’d you put it all?”

 An amused expression crossed his face, but he didn’t reply. Like that wasn’t suspicious or anything.

  “Hey, where’s your biggest wine glass?” Undyne piped up.

 You looked to see her rummaging around in your kitchen, trying to find where your cups were. You smiled and went to help.

 Once Undyne and yourself had settled down in the living room with large glasses of wine (Sans only asked if you had any ketchup, to which you had given him, albeit with a hint of confused repulsion), Undyne began to excitedly tell you about how Alphys and she had met. You only had to lean back, drink your wine and enjoy the company.

 Every so often, though, you found yourself glancing over to Sans, who had closed his eyes a while ago, the bottle of ketchup in his lap. Was he asleep? Or simply relaxing? How had he cleaned up your table? Why had his attitude towards you done a complete 180? So many questions.

  “-even listening to me, punk?”

 Crap, you’d been off in your own little world and tuned out Undyne by accident.

  “Sorry, I was just thinking about something.” you admitted regretfully.

 She shrugged and drained the rest of her wine, smacking her fishy lips in satisfaction. Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted Sans open one eye and almost look through you.

  “Question.” Undyne got your attention. “Why haven’t you sued both these dumbasses?”

 Boy, wasn’t that the question of the year?

  “Both Ian and Romaine have connections in many places. Not to mention that I don’t have any solid evidence or a- “

  “you’ve got witnesses. and cameras.”

  “What witnesses?”

  “Frisk.”

  “traci.”

  “And don’t forget us! We can help!”

 They weren’t wrong, but…

  “I’m really grateful for you guys, but monsters and humans have only just started to relax together. I don’t think it’s a good idea to put you all in the spotlight like that. It could only cause you trouble.”

  “heh. we’d be doin’ everyone a favor by throwing ‘em behind bars.”

 He wasn’t wrong in that regard.

  “It’s been impossible to get help from authorities back when I lived with Ian, not to mention Kris is a higher-up than me. I doubt my opinion will override his.”

  “Ugh! Pessimist much?” Undyne scoffed.

  “I’m just stating the facts here.”

 You watched in disgust as Sans parted his teeth and squeezed some of the red condiment into his mouth. How was that, in any way, appealing?

  “well, maybe you should look at the other facts before you go judgin’.”

  “Easy for you to say. You don’t have two morons constantly on your heels.”

 His eyes suddenly turned brighter, larger. “we could just get rid of them for you. i know a good place for people like them.”

 You said nothing for a moment, your stomach churning at the odd way shadows seemed to form on his face, making it look frightening and hollow. He had said those words so calmly, like he had no problem getting blood on his hands.

  “Uh, thanks for the offer.” You hoped your voice didn’t sound strained or shaky. “I don’t think that’ll go very well for any of us.”

  “I need more of this.” Undyne groaned, getting to her feet.

 You watched her go into the kitchen, leaving you with Sans, who had his sockets closed once again. It was like he hadn’t said anything even remotely spine-chilling just a second ago.

  “you shouldn’t stay here tonight.”

 His voice startled you. “Wha-what?”

  “ian might not have gotten the message and come back. i think it’s best if you don’t stay here tonight.”

  “Oh…but- “

  “I’m with Sans on that one.” Undyne mumbled as she went back to her seat, full glass in hand. “The guy can’t be trusted.”

  “Where will I stay? It’s pretty late and- “

 Undyne bounced to her feet, nearly spilling her wine. “You can sleep in the guest room at my place! Alphys made it so kawaii!”

  “Uh…”

  “i know paps wouldn’t have any problem with having you over. and tori always has her door open. she’d understand.”

 They were so kind, so insistent on keeping your wellbeing safe. It was sweet of them.

  “I’m glad you two came by today, but I think I’ll be fine at home.” You got to your feet with a smile. “And you two should head home. Alphys and Papyrus are probably getting worried.”

 Both monsters blinked at you in something akin to astonishment, too dumbfounded to say anything. Their expressions were priceless.

  “But…but…”

  “Undyne, I’m going to be fine. I can handle this.” Did you have to start using your strict motherly voice? “Just let me know when you both get home, alright?”

 A grim silence took over your living room, with your fishy friend gaping at you and Sans giving you that look you’d gotten so curious about. It took them a bit to snap out of their stupor and get off your couch. You weren’t used to not seeing your coffee table.

  “Then, uh, I guess we’ll see you later.” Undyne awkwardly pronounced.

 You smiled and walked up to give her a tight hug, to which she instantly became flustered. It made you chuckle, seeing as she was the one to tackle you earlier today the moment you had opened the door. You pulled away to see some of her blue scales turn a shade of pink, looking everywhere but at you.

  “Er…”

  “For someone so tough and badass, you can be just as adorable as Alphys.”

 Her only response to that comment was to down her full second glass of wine and shove it into your hands afterwards. She marched out your door with not so much as a goodbye.

  “She’s so funny.”

  “she doesn’t show that side to many people.”

 You gazed over at the skeleton and found yourself at a loss. Should you hug him goodbye too? Would that be weird, or would he return it? Before you could figure it out, he held out his hand to you. Pleasantly surprised, you reached out and took his han-

  _PRRRFFFFFTTTTT!!!!_

 What in the…???

 He released your hand to show you the little whoopie cushion he held, grinning widely. He did pranks too?

  “frisk loved when i did that. it was when we first met, actually.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. Was that a drop of sweat on his brow? “thought it would be appropriate, seeing as we’re…starting over?”

 This monster was confusing, always throwing something new at you. It left you tripping every time you interacted with him. But the offer was wonderful, nonetheless.

  “I’d like that.”

* * *

 As you got into bed later that night, you couldn’t relax. It was hard to with all the events that had gone on. Your emotions were tossing between elated and in despair, from your supporting friends and family to two horrid men clinging and leeching you.

 Your list of things you needed to do was increasing, but you didn’t know how to go about any of them. Ian, Romaine, Frisk and Tori, Sans.

 You tossed and turned for a long while before falling into a fitful sleep.


	25. Unsettling Burn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are just killing me with your comments and Kudos. I'm kinda just sitting here and going, "Afjdbfvpx!"
> 
> So yeah, here's another chapter. I don't know when my next one will be...maybe next week or the week after. Depends on my work schedule. 
> 
> But enough about me. Read away! Enjoy!!!

 You stopped outside your office building, craning your neck back and looking at it. You were in no mood to deal with flirtatious idiots today, but your mind was in such a whirlwind that coming to work seemed pointless. But Traci had been juggling both your paperwork and hers for three days, and that just wasn’t fair to have that continue to pile on her.

 You could do this. You could get through today. You would manage.

 Despite thinking that, it felt like walking through quicksand as you went past Kathy and into the elevator. Two women stepped aside to let you in and you could have sworn one of them glared at you as you got in with them. Had rumors been flying around about Romaine and you? What were they saying behind your back?

 The ride up to your floor was uncomfortable, to say the least. You could feel their stares on you, could almost hear the little lies bouncing around in their heads about you. Had Kris himself started rumors about the two of you? He’d better not, if he wants to keep his only secretary.

 Finally, it got to your floor and you got out, trying to block out the women that were still burning holes in your back. You didn’t dare look behind you.

  “(Y/n)!”

 You swear, Traci had a radar on you.

  “Hey girl. I’m really sorry I didn’t say anything about taking a few day-“ She held a hand up to your face and you stopped short.

  “If you try to apologize to me one more time, I will shove all this paperwork in your mouth.” She held out a large binder and a pile of other papers with a soft smile. “You needed it.”

 You took them and looked over a few of the papers and sighed in relief. “I could kiss you right now for doing all of this for me.”

  “I’m flattered but save that for someone else.” she winked.

  “At least let me take you out for lunch.” you teased back.

 She pursed her lips and pretended to think about it. “Well, I guess we could go out for lunch. Your treat.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

 You parted, going to your own desks, and found yours to be…clean, void of any paper, empty. Had Romaine fired you after all and refused to tell you? Was he _that_ petty?

  “You’re welcome!” you heard Traci in the distance.

 You officially had the best friend in the world.

  “I’m officially marrying you!” you shouted back.

 She just laughed.

* * *

 

 You only got an hour to yourself, going over everything to make sure Traci hadn’t missed anything. But after your hour of wonderful solitude, a call came: that blue light meant only one person was calling.

  “Please shoot me…” you muttered before picking up the phone.

  “Nice to see you’re back.”

  “…yes, it is.” What was his real reason for calling? “Is there something you needed, Mr. Romaine?”

  “No, just wanted to see if you were doing alright. It’s not like you to take so many days off.”

 So, he was going feign ignorance, huh? You wish he was here just so you could glare him down. Maybe he was too scared to see you himself?

  “I’m fine. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

 You hung before he had a chance to spout any more nonsense, then furiously went through more paperwork, doing everything you could to distract yourself from your anger. You stayed that way until noon, to which Traci came by and yanked the papers and pen from your hands.

  “Come on, let’s get out of here. We have a lot to catch up on.”

 You didn’t argue and jumped to your feet, following after her. Once in the elevator, your stomach twisted at a familiar face that was already standing inside: one of the women from this morning. Oh yay.

  “Where are we eating today? Got anything in mind? Cause I’m craving some Mexican food right now.”

 You both got in the elevator and the doors shut. Burning eyes were all you felt. Would it be too much to give her a black eye?

  “(y/n)?”

 Whoops. “Uh, sorry. We can get Mexican food.”

 It was one of the longest elevator rides in your life and you were glad to get out of there and leave the woman’s judgmental silence far behind you. Once outside, Traci immediately answered it.

  “What was up with that woman? Did you piss her off or something?”

  “I don’t know. But I’m getting weird looks and I have a bad feeling that it involves Kris.”

 She made a gagging noise. “Figures.”

  “Let’s just go eat. I need food to comfort me.”

 She looped her arm through yours. “And don’t forget, you have to tell me everything that’s been going on. Every single detail.”

 …great.

* * *

 

  “Oh. My god. You’re serious?”

  “I wish I was lying.” you sighed.

 You didn’t expect her to grab her knife and stab right in the middle of one of her enchiladas. That was quite the murderous look written on her face.

  “You need to do something. Press charges or get a restraining order.”

  “With Ian, maybe. I can’t exactly do that to my own boss.”

  “Damn…” She continued poking at her food with her knife. “There’s got to be some way we can get rid of him.”

  “Well, when you come up with something solid, let me know.”

 She furiously dug into her food and said nothing else on the topic, clearly top angry at what you had been through and that she had no way of fixing it for you. Such a sweetheart.

 The rest of lunch together was talking about little things, actively avoiding the earlier topic. The way back to the office building was more of the same thing.

  “Hey, what are you doing Monday?”

  “Uh...” Good question. “I don’t know. Probably go have a little me time. Go for a jog or something. I honestly need it more than ever.”

 She laughed. “Too true. But if you ever want to, I made plans with Undyne and Alphys. You’re always invited.”

  “Thanks, I’ll think about it.” you said as you walked into the office building.

 Getting to your floor, you were dumbstruck at the sight of Romaine sitting at your desk, obviously waiting for you. Traci frowned, putting a hand on your shoulder.

  “Do you need backup?”

  “No, I’ll handle this. He won’t try again considering last time.”

  “…aim for his crotch if he does.” she advised.

 She left you to your own devices, to which your boss had already noticed the two of you and was standing to his feet. Holding your head high, you sauntered up to him, hoping he would stay there so that the desk was between the two of you.

  “Is there any reason you’re at my desk?”

  “I was waiting for you to return from lunch. I wanted to talk to you.”

  “Before you open your mouth and say anything you’re going to regret, I’m gonna stop you right there.” If he didn’t take hints, maybe a straightforward approach would work. “I’ll make this as clear as I possibly can, alright? I don’t want you, Kris. I want to stay as your employee and you should stick to being my boss. Simple as that.”

 He didn’t speak for a moment. That meant it was sinking in, right? God, you prayed that it was.

  “I’ll let you get back to work then.”

 Wait, really? No creepy remark or flirty comment? It was that easy?

  “…thanks.”

 You watched him leave, but something tickled the back of your mind. That had been _too_ easy, hadn’t it? That wasn’t like him at all. But wasn’t that what you wanted? You had one less man to worry about in your life and one step closer to getting some form of normalcy.

 So why was there a shiver crawling up your spine?


	26. The Final Straw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, I have been WAITING to write this one. It was soooo satisfying. This was is a bit long, but I doubt you guys have any qualms with that.
> 
> Please enjoy this chapter.

  The rest of the week went by without any problems, really. Sure, more coworkers kept giving you upsetting looks and Romaine had started to leave little sticky notes for you to find every morning (you knew it was him, even if he hadn’t signed them), but those were so insignificant. You could ignore those easily, although the latter part ticked you off, seeing as your boss was too stupid to get the message.

 Whatever, you thought. You weren’t going to waste your time and energy worrying about men like him. You had bigger and better fish to fry, anyway.

 On Sunday, Traci approached your desk as you had just finished up for the day. You were so ready to have a day off and have some alone time.

  “So, what are your plans for tomorrow?” she inquired.

  “Me time. Gonna go for nice run at the park and visit Muffet for a moment, but I’m going to keep company to a minimum.”

  “Next time, you’re joining us all at the karaoke bar. Got it?”

 You smiled as you brushed past her. “Got it, _mom_.”

  “Call me if anything happens.”

 You made your way to the elevator with a hop in your step, throwing a thumbs-up to her. You caught something out of your peripheral vision then, a glimpse of a tall shoulder in a dark suit jacket and frowned as you pressed the button for the elevator. He still went and listened in on your conversations like it was his business, did he? That little-

 The elevator opened for you, but you paused for a moment to glance back over, but there was no one there now. Regardless, that hadn’t been your imagination and it was getting on your nerves. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try and talk to the higher-ups about all this?

 Your thoughts were put on hold as you saw the elevator doors begin to close without you in it, sliding inside as quickly as you could.

* * *

 

 Your Monday started off wonderfully. You slept soundly, only getting up when your mind stayed awake and forced you out of bed. You hummed in delight as you roamed into your kitchen, finding something to eat before you got ready to go out and jog. Something light, maybe?

  _Ding!_

 You had brought your phone with you and left it on the counter but stopped searching for food to pick it up. Was it Traci, insisting that you join her and Undyne and Alphys?

  **Sans: frisk, paps and i are going to the park later. wanna join?**

 While the message was surprising, it was well-received on your end. Sans had been making such an effort to talk to you and not cast you out or insult you as he had in the past. Why that was stayed a mystery, but it was a nice change from him threatening you or glaring. You still needed to talk to him and figure out what had been the reason behind his change, though, if only to satisfy your curiosity.

  **You: I’m actually about to head to the park in a bit for a run. Can I join you afterwards?**

 You returned to your task at hand and grinned as you came across a box of cereal, pouring yourself a bowl.

  _Ding!_

**Sans: sure**

 You snorted at the short text, eating the rest of your breakfast before going to get ready. Skipping a shower for now seemed logical enough, so you got into a pair of leggings and a tank top, grabbed your stuff and headed out the door.

 You drove to the park and got out, breathing in the fresh air and enjoying the good weather. You couldn’t have picked a better day. Barely anyone was at the park, seeing as today was a Monday, but there were a handful of cars parked nearby, so it wasn’t empty. With that, you went onto the sidewalk and started down the familiar path.

 The first lap was easy, relaxing. You took in the scenery, passed the playground and a few people with their child. As far as Mondays go, you’d take these any day. The second and third lap, you quickened your steps, feeling the burn and letting everything fade away. Your phone gave a ding as you got into your fourth lap, but you didn’t stop to look at it until you came under a large tree, panting under its’ shade.

  **Sans: here. where are you?**

 The playground was a good distance, but you wanted to finish your lap before you went to say hello. You told him as such, putting your phone away and starting up your steady pace once more, heart poundin-

 You had come to a sharp curve, where the trees were a bit thicker and the shade more prominent, when you found yourself crashing into another body, yelping as you stumbled backwards from the impact.

  “Ow…”

  “(y/n)? Why, this is a pleasant surprise.”

 Oh no. _Oh no. NO._

 You looked up in shock, wanting nothing more than to blink and have him vanish before your eyes, but he stayed put. It was weird seeing him in something other than a suit, especially since the tight t-shirt and shorts looked out of place on him.

  “…Mr. Romaine.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you as I was coming around the corner. You okay there?”

 This entire situation screamed weird. You wondered if it were possible to just pass him and head to the playground as fast as your legs could carry you. You needed Frisk away from this place, away from this man. Meeting your own boss here, whom was beginning to feel far too similar to Ian, didn’t seem like a coincidence.

  “Um…I’m fine.”

 You moved to step around him, intending to not stick around any longer, when he reached out and grabbed your arm and yanked you towards him. You gasped, your feet scrambling to gain balance, but you suddenly found yourself being shoved between a tree and his body.

 Trapped.

  “ _Hel_ -“ you started to scream, but he cut you off by pressing his hand over your mouth.

  “I wish I had thought of this sooner. It’s quite nice to see you pinned here, completely at my mercy. I couldn’t very well do this at work now, could I?”

 Oh god, his dark, sleazy voice made you sick to your stomach. He leaned in to brush his nose against your cheek, breath hot on your skin. You squirmed away, trying to push him away from you, but he stood fast and strong.

  “I love getting to see you in this outfit. All warm and sweaty and panting, just as I’d pictured.”

 Pictured?! _Ugh!_

 Having heard that nasty fact, you doubled your efforts, kicking around in hopes of getting at his crotch. You just needed a moment for him to back off and you’d book it to the playground area, where other witnesses would be. He smirked at your flailing limbs and merely pressed closer, using his body weight to restrain you. His face was inches away and you could feel every part of him against you, making your body tense and shake in revulsion.

  “Mmm…I love that look on your face.”

 Each second that passed felt like an eternity, your insides twisting as you shut your eyes to block everything out, still trying to squirm out of his hold. Why hadn’t you just stopped at three laps and waited for Sans and Papyrus? Why hadn’t you accepted Traci’s invitation tonight? Why, why _why?!_

  “Relax.” He whispered, his free hand sliding down your arm. “I know you’re enjoying this.”

 This whole situation was getting worse with each passing minute. What should you do? What _could_ you do, seeing as he had left you with zero openings to escape? What was Romaine planning to do after this? Oh god, his hand was on your stomach now, fingertips slowly moving up to your chest. You stiffened and glanced up, meeting clouded eyes of nothing but lust.

  “Such a delightful body.” His fingers came closer. “So teasing.” Closer. “So- “

  “ **L E T.  H E R.  G O.** ”

 Romaine became a blur as his body was thrown away from you, grunting in pain as he flew backwards into another tree, remaining there in an outline of blue magic. Your legs couldn’t hold yourself upright and allowed gravity to take you, your back against the tree. Your eyes looked to see Sans step into view beside you, hand raised and flashing pupil sparking. He was obviously enraged, a sneer on his mouth.

  “ **I  C O U L D  E N D  Y O U  R I G H T  H E R E.** ” His fingers twitched. “ **Y O U  W O U L D N ‘ T  E V E N  B E  A B L E  T O  S C R E A M.** ”

 You knew you were going into some sort of dazed shock, but you didn’t want Sans doing anything stupid, even if there was no one around to see it. People would notice if he disappeared without a trace and you weren’t willing to risk your family getting in trouble because of it.

  “Sans…” It took him a moment to turn his pupil to you. “Don’t. It’s too risky.”

 He glared at you, his magic glowing brighter in response to his rage. Then, without saying a single word, his hand flicked to the right and you watched your boss go flying, hitting the ground with a thud.

  “Sans!”

  “…he’s fine. he’ll live.” He snarled, lowering his hand and taking a deep breath. “sadly.”

 The news that he was alive was both uplifting and dreadful to hear, but you didn’t say anything. Romaine laid in the grass in a heap, unmoving. Sans wasn’t lying, was he?

  “you okay?”

 You tore your eyes away from your attacker and found Sans, back to normal and assessing you with a worried expression on his bony face.

  “…no.”

 He grimaced at the straight-forward reply. “yeah, that was a stupid question. can you stand?”

 Your legs almost felt like they had lost all muscle and bone, paralyzed from the neck down. There was no way you were going to be walking anywhere right now.

  “No.”

 He stepped closer, then paused. “um…i’m only touching you to help you up. don’t…don’t freak out.”

 Deep down past your shock, your heart sagged in gratitude at the gesture. You nodded wearily, and he leaned down and gently took your arm. Despite yourself, you flinched at the contact. He immediately pulled away.

  “sorry, sorry! i won’t touch you, alright?”

  “Sans, you’d better get me as far away from this park as you can, so either you pick me up or call someone else to do it.”

 He went quiet, eyelights dim. Instead of pulling out his phone to call someone, however, he took a step back from you.

  “do ya trust me?”

  “…huh?” What kinda nonsense was he spewing right now?

  “do. you. trust. me?”

 Did you? I mean, he’d been an ass during your first few encounters, but that had changed. He had been nothing but protective and trying to make amends with you, so why wouldn’t you trust him?

  “Yeah. But w- “

  “then don’t move and don’t freak out.” He raised his hand in a very well-known gesture, his eyelights disappearing. “just relax.”

  “Uh, Sans? What are you- “

 That terrifying pupil was back, magic twisting around him before coming at you. Why the hell was he attacking _you?!_ You struggled to use the tree to get your feet, to run from the unexpected attack, but you knew you wouldn’t be fast enough. You panicked as magic encircled you, warm and alive and dangerous.

  “(y/n), relax. i’m not gonna hurt you.”

  “Really?! Your actions say otherwise!”

  “i’m just using my magic to pick you up. i’m not gonna hurt you.” He gave a weak smile. “you can still move and talk, if you haven’t noticed.”

 You looked down at your hand, turning it this way and that, eyeing the glowing cyan that was stuck to you like a transparent second skin. He wasn’t lying, plus this didn’t feel painful or frightening in any way. It was nice…welcoming.

  “there ya go. just relax.”

  “This still feels weird.”

  “i know. i’m gonna pick you up now.”

 You nodded, gazing back up at him. “I trust you.”

 His smile steadied as his hand slowly raised, your entire body following the motion. This was so strange, floating in the air by nothing but pure magic. You curled up slightly, sighing in relief. This had been a good idea on his part, seeing as you didn’t really want anyone touching you right now.

  “paps and the kid are waitin’ for us.”

  “…can we go see Toriel?” you muttered.

  “yeah, of course. just sit tight.”

 He walked off towards the playground, his magic bringing you along for the ride. It was kinda like sitting in an invisible bed, all soft and warm. Was Sans intentionally doing this to comfort you? That was sweet of him.

  “Mom!”

 Oh, that little cry was like the sun bursting through your stormy sky. You twisted yourself a bit to see Papyrus and Frisk rushing up to you, meeting you halfway.

  “SANS, YOU MUSTN’T PRANK FRISK’S MOM WITH YOUR MAGIC! IT’S VERY RUDE!”

  “He was only helping me, Papyrus. It’s fine.”

  “i’ll set ya down now.”

 He did so with the utmost care, letting you stand properly before his magic flicked away. Gravity smashed into you, but both skeleton brothers caught you, holding you up.

  “Mom…? What’s wrong?”

 You glanced down to see Frisk approaching you, hands outstretched to you. Why did the sight of your child’s distress make your throat go tight and lump form in your stomach?

  “I…I’m fine, hon. I just…I…”

  “Mom…”

 You were finding it hard see them, but you felt their little hands touch you. Why was everything blurry?

  “WHY DID YOU MAKE HER CRY, SANS?”

  “i didn’t, bro…” He mumbled. “someone else did.”

 Your entire being crumbled, the stress and frustration of the past few weeks sinking its’ claws into you. You could hear all three of them going hysterical, trying to figure out what to do. It was your child that managed to get through to you in the midst of your breakdown.

  “It’s going to be okay, Mom.”


	27. Sleepover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got this one done! I had to keep rewriting bits and pieces, but it finally came out nicely.
> 
> Enjoy~

 You feel like your mind is in a bubble, trapped within itself as Frisk guides you by the hand, taking you up to Toriel’s house and inside. It doesn’t help that it’s like someone had put the world on the lowest audio setting as you see Toriel open the door and say something. She looks worried, almost scared. Someone speaks and she covers her mouth in horror, stepping aside and wildly gesturing to come inside.

 Frisk helps you inside, bringing over to sit on the couch in the living room. You can sense Sans and Toriel talking in the background, but you don’t have the energy to try and tune in to reality just yet. Frisk curls up into your lap without saying anything, holding onto you like you were about to up and disappear on them. You want to comfort them, to move and hold them and tell them you’re fine.

 You’re not fine.

 Another presence slowly sits down beside you, tall and lanky and hesitant: Papyrus, your mind informs you. Papyrus was safe. You were safe.

 Suddenly, Toriel is sitting on her knees in front of you, reaching out with tears running down her face and matting her fur. Her light touch on your face plucks you up and sets you into the present, sound smashing back through your eardrums.

  “How could humans do that to their own kind?” Toriel is sobbing. “She’s suffered enough as it is. My poor girl…”

  “…is she broken, Sans?”

 It takes you a few seconds to realize that Papyrus had just spoken in the quietest tone you’d ever heard him use.

  “no, she’s comin’ back to us. give her a moment.”

  “You’re okay now, (y/n). Your family is here. No one will harm you.” Toriel murmurs in-between short sobs. “We’re here for you.”

  “tori, i think her SOUL is in need of some healing too.”

 Your SOUL? What was wrong with it?

  “Oh! Oh, yes, of course! I have a pie from yesterday that I can-“ Toriel gets to her feet, cutting herself off. “I’ll add a bit more, just to be safe.”

 She hurries away, but the two skeleton brothers and your child stay put.

  “Mom, don’t cry.”

 You’re crying? You didn’t feel like you were, but when you touch your cheek, you find tears. You probably look horrible right now.

  “…sorry…” you manage to choke out.

  “Do not apologize.” Papyrus says, slowly beginning to rub your head. “Everyone cries.”

 For some reason, that makes you cry harder. No one says anything, but you find yourself being lulled into a soft security by their presence. The way Papyrus and Frisk are lightly touching you helps ground you, calming you enough for when Toriel returns with a slice of delicious smelling pie on a plate.

  “Here, my dear. Please try to finish it.”

 You take it with shaking hands and take a small bite. It’s just warm enough to melt in your mouth and the flavor of cinnamon and something else (caramel?) explode on your tastebuds. It’s literally the best pie you’ve ever eaten. You go in for another bite but stop when a strong aftertaste burns as you swallow.

  “Oh, did I put too much?” Toriel asks. “I didn’t kn- “

  “nah, that was perfect. her SOUL is reacting nicely to it.”

 Everyone is just staring at you now, which is a bit odd, but you can almost sense the change after having that one bite. You take another bite, which soothes your frayed nerves further, drawing your mind back to itself.

  “think you can talk for a bit?” Sans asks.

 You nod.

  “It’ll take a moment for her body to settle. My magic will make it go quicker, though.” Toriel gives you a watery smile. “Take another bite, hon.”

 You do so without complaint, savoring it. The moment of peace is shattered by what Sans says next:

  “you need to quit.”

 You had been about to take another bite but freeze at his words. You know that he means business, that he’s not going to budge. Toriel’s eyes harden but doesn’t say anything. You know she’s with Sans on this, and rightfully so. You sigh, lowering your fork from your mouth, your stomach twisting.

  “I know you’re right. I wish I had just done that earlier.”

  “Does that mean you are?” Toriel perks up.

 You know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you weren’t about to step foot into that building of yours again. Romaine could go drown in his paperwork and fix his own schedules until his dying days. You just regret not looking for jobs and preparing to get away beforehand. None of this would have happened if you had just been smarter about all of this. Damnit, now you’re getting so mad at yourself that you’re crying again.

  “Did we break her, Sans?” Papyrus gasps.

  “nah.”

  “Eat.” Toriel instructs you.

 You do so, tasting your tears as they mingle with your pie. God, you must look ridiculous in front of your family right now. A grown woman, the mother of Frisk, crying like a baby. The thought makes you giggle, trying to wipe your face clean and failing.

  “I’m a hot mess.” you laugh bitterly.

 Toriel cracks a smile. “Oh hush. I’ll get you some tissue. Keep eating.”

 You take another bite, sniffing.

  “You…will be okay, right?” Papyrus asks.

  “…I will be. I am right now, actually.” You wrap one arm around Frisk, which they return. “I’m so glad I have you all in my life.”

  “THAT IS-oh…oops.” The tall skeleton covers his mouth, looking embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to…”

  “You can talk normally, Papy.” His eyelights grow brighter at the nickname. “I don’t want you being all quiet on me.”

  “I WILL DO WHATEVER HEALS YOU FASTER!”

 What a sweetheart.

  “Thank you. You’re already doing a wonderful job.”

  “I KNOW!” He stands to his feet, hands on his hipbones. “NYEH HEH HEH!”

 Did he just…was that a laugh? Alright then.

  “Here you are.” Toriel returned, handing over tissue. “It’s good to see you smile again.”

  “Yeah. Papyrus has that sort of effect.”

 Said skeleton flops back on the couch next to you and proceeds to hug you to him, Frisk joining in. Your heart plummets, however, when you see your child with a tear-stained face. They were crying with you this whole time and you didn’t even know it. You pull them closer and nuzzle the top of their head.

  “Finish your pie, (y/n). Your SOUL needs it.”

 You know not to argue with Toriel and maneuver yourself so that you could stay cuddled up with Papyrus and Frisk, eating the reminder of the slice. Toriel takes the empty plate and wanders off into the kitchen while you go back to holding a bony skeleton and your child. They’re so warm, and, despite Papyrus being nothing but bone, very comfortable. A small yawn comes over you before you can hold it in.

  “finally catchin’ up to you, huh?”

 You shrug. “It’s been a long day.”

  “Can you stay the night here?” Frisk pleads.

  “OH! OH! CAN WE SLEEP OVER TOO, SANS?”

 You hear Toriel chuckle from the kitchen. “That’s fine. You know you’re all welcome here.”

  “SHE SAID YES!” Papyrus is practically vibrating. “CAN WE, BROTHER?”

 Sans gives the three of you a lopsided smile and waves his hand in the air. “sure, why not?”

  “WHOOPIE!!!”

 You suddenly find yourself being lifted into the air and clutch onto Frisk before they slip from your grasp. Papyrus hops around with the two of you in his arms, clearly ecstatic to spend the night.

  “Alright, settle down. It’s bedtime and (y/n) needs some rest.” Toriel called out.

 Papyrus sets the both of you down before racing to the stairs in glee. You don’t question it and put Frisk down.

  “Go get ready for bed.” you say, bending down to kiss the crown of their head.

 They nod eagerly and bound up the stairs in a very Papyrus-like fashion, followed by the sounds of both of them bouncing around.

  “Oh gosh. There they go again.” Toriel sighed. “Let me get you something to wear to bed. I would give you the guest room, but Papyrus can’t fit the couch. I hope you don’t mind taking it instead.”

  “No, this is just fine.” you yawn.

  “I’ll be right back.”

 She wanders off and you snicker at the sound of Toriel’s voice telling them both to quiet down and get ready for bed.

  “you promise you’ll quit first thing in the morning?”

 You turn to see that he’s frowning, hands shoved in his pockets and sweat gathering on his skull. He must be quite worried for you.

  “Promise.” You flop down onto the couch. “But for now, let’s all get some sleep.”

  “heh. now you’re speakin’ my language.”

 He goes and sags into an armchair, like he’s immediately become part of it. The sight makes you chuckle.

  “Here you are.” Toriel comes down with a bundle of clothes and a large blanket and pillow. “It’s one of my nightgowns, but it should suffice.”

  “Thank you.”

 Once you go change in the bathroom, you’re greeted at the sight of Papyrus and Frisk sitting in your spot, with Sans already beginning to nod off in the armchair, a blanket thrown over him.

  “WE’RE ALL SLEEPING HERE TONIGHT! THAT WAY IT’S REALLY LIKE A SLEEPOVER!”

 You aren’t going to argue with that. The more company, the better.

“Alright, but you actually have to go to sleep.” you tease.

 Papyrus gets up and you notice he had made a makeshift bed on the floor of blankets and pillows, which he crawls into.

  “Where are you sleeping, Frisky-bits?”

 They surprise you by reaching out to you. “Can I sleep with you on the couch?”

 Can a mother’s heart burst from sweetness overload from your own child? Apparently, it can. You smile and unfold the blanket, getting comfy on the couch before beckoning Frisk to join you. They clambered in the blanket with you, snuggling up into your side, and your crappy day gets a bit better with the adorable gesture. You might cry again, honestly. You never thought you’d get to do this again, either. It’s so familiar, so comforting.

 You smile down at them as their little eyes close, pressing closer. You gently run your hand through their hair, playing with it as you had when they had been an infant. They relax into your touch, their breathing getting slower and deeper. A soft snore comes from the floor, followed by a deep yawn from Sans before the lights go out. He must have used his magic to do so, the lazy butt.

  “…Sans?” you whisper.

  “hm?”

  “Thank you for today. If there’s anything I can do to help you, let me know. It’s the least I can do.”

 He doesn’t say anything for a moment too long and you wonder if he’s fallen asleep. You can’t exactly see anything when it’s dark.

  “heh. don’t worry about it.”

  “But- “

  “get some rest.”

 You fall asleep almost instantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (So, I dared myself to buy myself a Sans cosplay and I'm honestly so excited. I also got myself a Frisk cosplay, so I can't wait to cosplay both of them~ Just thought I'd let you know!)


	28. A New Option

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! Got this one all done! Now, I'm gonna go back and edit some grammar in the chapters, so don't mind me~
> 
> Enjoy!

 You took a deep breath as you finished the last part of your sentence, your eyes scanning over the email before nodding and clicking send. Frisk gazed up at you from your lap then, and it hit you that you were free. You were unemployed, sure, but that beat being anywhere near Romaine any day. You shut the laptop and found all of your family members (and Traci) staring at you in anticipation from the other side of the coffee table.

 You grinned. “Done.”

 Undyne, who had arrived with Alphys earlier and gotten the news, crowed in delight and picked Alphys up and started to spin her around the living room. A great sigh of relief came from all of you, followed by Traci’s sudden declaration.

  “We need to celebrate!”

 Undyne stopped spinning Alphys and turned with a feral smile. “YES! That’s exactly what we need to do!”

  “A PARTY?!” Papyrus gasped. “THAT SOUNDS LIKE A WONDERFUL IDEA! WE MUST START MAKING PARTY SPAGHETTI!”

 Undyne threw her head back and guffawed, putting Alphys down and chasing after the tall skeleton into the kitchen. Toriel gave you a roll of her eyes and a fond smile before going in after them, shouting at them not to pour sprinkles into the sauce this time.

  “I’m gonna follow your example.” Traci spoke up.

  “Huh? Really?” You hadn’t expected that from her.

  “Well, I’m going to put my two-weeks in while I search for a job.” she shrugged.

 You groaned at the awful reminder. “And I need to find a new job too. Which is going to suck.”

  “you’ll manage.” Sans said.

 You smiled at the motivating words, then looked down at your child that remained in your lap.

  “I’ll get through this because I have all of you.”

 Frisk giggled and reached up to wrap their arms around your neck briefly, then slid off you and ran over to Alphys to talk to her. That left you with Sans and Traci, the latter of which was giving _that_ look, the kind that spoke all kinds of mischief. You frowned at her in warning, but she ignored you and leaned forward, her eyes glittering down at her target.

  “So Sans, I’m curious.” His eyelights turned to her, looking slightly suspicious. “How does a skeleton…hm, how do I put this lightly…how do they procreate? I mean, you and Papyrus are here, so there’s gotta be an explanation, right?”

 Oh. My. God.

  “ _Traci!_ ”

  “What?” she replied innocently. “I’m just asking him. It’s a valid question.”

  “Sans, don’t mind her. She sometimes doesn’t know when to behave.”

 He looks uncomfortable. “er…right.”

  “Then let’s see if you can help me in a different department.” You narrowed your eyes at her. “Relax, it’s nothing inappropriate.”

  “Good.” You huffed.

  “You and Mr. Hottie are friends, right?” Sans blinked at her in confusion. “Grillby. You guys know each other, right?”

 Sans snorted before bursting out in laughter. You groaned in defeat, putting your head in your hands. You love this woman, but she didn’t have a filter sometimes and that left you in some of the most awkward situations. Once Sans came down from his laughing fit, he grinned up at her.

  “yeah, we’re friends. what about it?”

  “Willing to throw any tips at little lady that’s interested in him?”

  “Traci, stop talking.” you insisted.

  “i mean, he’s an old SOUL. not sure if he would date ya, even if he wanted to.”

 Traci, being the woman she was, merely raised a brow at the information. “So you think it’s possible to catch his eye?”

 You glanced over to see the skeleton’s amused expression. He shrugged his shoulders and winked at your friend.

  “if anyone is gonna intrigue him, i’d say you’ve got a pretty good chance.”

  “Sans, don’t encourage her.”

 He looked at you with a smirk. “what, i can’t fan the flames a bit?”

 Did he really just-

  “You’ve got me fired up for when I see him again.” Traci shot back.

 Okay, that was your cue.

  “You guys are ridiculous. I’ll be in the kitchen, you weirdos.”

 They both snickered as you made your escape, walking into the kitchen and stopping short to stare at the scene before you. Undyne was wildly cutting up something that no longer resembled food and more of a blended salsa, a grin plastered on her face. Papyrus and Toriel were standing in front of the stove, with Papyrus attempting to shove more pasta noodles into a massive pot and Toriel trying to convince him that he didn’t need any more.

 What a strange bunch you called family.

* * *

 

 Later, after everyone had eaten to the point of bursting, you all dragged yourselves into the living room to relax in comfier seats. You had to admit, even if they had odd ways of cooking, Undyne and Papyrus had made quite a good meal. Either that, or Toriel’s presence made a difference. Who knew.

  “That was amazing, you guys. As always.” Traci sighed.

  “NATURALLY, HUMAN FRIEND!”

 You smile as Frisk climbs onto your lap, relaxed and full and all yours…at least, that’s what it seems like until you glance up at Toriel, who’s talking with Sans about something. Now that you have one less problem in your life, you have all the time and energy to focus on the more important things.

 Like figuring out child custody between this motherly monster and yourself.

 You took a deep breath, mentally preparing yourself, and wrapped your arms around your child. You didn’t want to have this conversation at all, but it was a given at this point. You couldn’t just let Toriel have them all to herself, but you knew you couldn’t be selfish and try to do the same, either. This was going to be difficult to balance, but it was probably better to have this talk now rather than later.

  “Um…Tori?” You internally cringe at the awkward way you spoke her nickname, but you get her attention. “Could I speak with you in private for a bit?”

 She nods. “Of course.”

 You pat Frisk off your lap and get up, following after Tori as she made her way upstairs and down the hall into a neat little office, with grey filing cabinets and a tall bookshelf shoved in a corner. She leans herself against the office desk and looks at you patiently. Oh boy, here we go.

  “I just…I felt like we needed to talk about child custody sooner or later. It’s not a very fun topic, but I also know we can’t skirt around it much longer and now was a good time as any.”

  “Agreed. But I’ve been considering another option. Today sealed my doubts and I think it would be best for everyone.”

 There was another way to make everyone happy? Well, that was fine with you.

  “I’m open to anything.”

 She seemed to be building up her own confidence as she glanced down at her feet for a moment, hesitating. Did she think you would shoot it down immediately?

  “You’ve been through quite a lot recently. You still have a lot to take care of, but I feel that staying in your house isn’t the best idea. Not to mention it would be easier on you to find a job and not worry about bills or someone coming to your doorstep uninvited.” What was she getting at? “Plus, we would all like to have you close by, to keep you safe. It would ease our minds.”

  “…what about Frisk?”

  “Well…if you agree, you and I could both keep Frisk in one house. We would all love it if you did.”

 Wait. Waitwaitwait.

  “Are you asking me to move in with you?!”

 She winces at your tone. “If you would be alright with that, yes.”

 That hadn’t even crossed your mind, but…it made sense, to some degree. You would have a new address that Ian and Romaine wouldn’t know, you would be much safer and not be paranoid every second, and you would get to share Frisk accordingly. In fact, it was beginning to sound like a great idea the more you rolled it around your head.

  “I…it’ll be weird moving in with someone else.”

 Her eyes light up in hope. “I have a spare bedroom next to Frisk’s room.”

  “I’d need to start packing, too.”

  “I’m sure we could help with that, starting tomorrow.”

 You grinned up at her. “Then I guess you have yourself a new housemate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, get ready for the next chapter. It's gonna be fuuunnnnnn~


	29. Moving Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, I hope you're ready. This is gonna get even MORE fun after this chapter. I've been waiting to write this one out, though it came out much differently than I had first pictured.
> 
> Regardless, enjoy it! I know I did!

 Undyne, Papyrus, Sans and Frisk all volunteered to help you start packing the next day and get everything over to Toriel’s, eager to get you out of your home. You had an additional little face whom begged to tag along but lacked the arms to help with packing; Frisk had pleaded for their friend to come and you couldn’t find it in yourself to refuse.

  “MK, go and stick with Frisk, okay?” you said softly.

 MK (or Monster Kid, but they preferred MK) was a tiny yellow monster that reminded you of a dinosaur, just without any arms. Frisk and MK were as close as siblings, chasing each other and shouting as they weaved through legs and boxes and furniture. You had been watching the two of them with a fond expression, carefully packing up all your books into a box. You could hear Papyrus and Undyne in your kitchen, making quite a ruckus as they packed all your kitchen items. You just hoped they didn’t break anything. Sans was in your bedroom, as was your request, to take apart your bed and anything else he could disassemble.

  “Okay!” MK giggled.

 They ran off to find Frisk once more, followed shortly by shrieks from your child and MK as they continued running around. Too cute.

  “heya.” You looked up from your task to see Sans. “the moving van just arrived. should we start taking boxes out?”

  “Oh! I almost forgot about that, thanks for reminding me.” You got up and cocked your head towards the kitchen. “Papyrus! Undyne! Van is here, so let’s start taking boxes out!”

 Before you had even finished your sentence, they were already piling boxes into their arms and were out the door, racing each other. You just shook your head and picked up one of the boxes that sat in your living room, heading out after them.

  “Frisk, MK! Stay here, okay? Mr. Sans is going to be here while we put away the boxes!”

  “Wait, we wanna come!” MK yelled out.

 You tensed as two energetic bodies rushed past you, making sure to hold tightly onto your boxes. Gosh, those two weren’t much help, but they kept everyone happy and motivated, so you didn’t mind their presence.

  “Stay out of the road, you two!”

  “Yes, Mom!”

  “Okay!”

 You sighed and made your way over to the van, where the driver of said vehicle had barely gotten out and was gawking at the sight of a skeleton and fish monster already putting boxes inside at a terrifying speed. Oh geez.

  “We’ve got this, so feel free to just relax inside. I haven’t packed any food yet, so help yourself.” you informed him.

 He looked dazed. “Uh…yeah, sure.”

 You handed over your boxes to Papyrus, trying not to laugh as the two of them hopped out of the back and ran back to grab more boxes. Sans was already trying to walk over with a box in hand, Frisk and MK running in circles around him. You rolled your eyes and met them halfway, plucking the box from hi-

  “Holy-! What’s even _in_ this?!” you gasped, struggling under the weight.

  “i had it, ya know.” Sans chuckled, looking amused.

  “Sans, I swear…if you put rocks in this thing just to be a jerkwad, I’m going to dump these on your head.” It didn’t sound very threatening when you were panting from exertion. “Help me, damnit!”

 The stupid skeleton seemed to finally take pity on you, albeit while he laughed his coccyx off. Frisk and MK were off to the side, watching the exchange and snickering behind their hands.

  “hold still.”

 You had expected him to just take back the box and laugh about you being unable to carry it when he could, but he lazily raised his hand instead and let his magic do the work for the both of you, lifting you and the box into the air. The children present started squealing in delight, tugging on Sans’ jacket and begging to be next.

 You laughed. “That wasn’t necessary.”

  “i know.” he smiled back.

 He maneuvered you and the box into the van and set the box down first before doing the same for you. Frisk and MK continued to pester Sans as you got out of the truck, looking at the silly antics of your child and their friend. This was so nice, so peaceful.

  “Well, isn’t this sweet.”

 Your skin prickled at that voice, that peaceful feeling vanishing as you spun around. How had everyone not seen _him_ coming?

 Ian stood, a dark foreboding figure in the daylight, glaring at the sight of you with your family. He looked anything but happy. Why hadn’t you been more cautious and paid closer attention to your surroundings?

 His eyes assessed the van and your boxes with distaste. “So they were right…”

 So he was still keeping tabs on you with his little “friends”? That just served to piss you off.

  “Leave.”

  “Or what? You’ll sick your monster pet on me?”

  “(Y/N)!”

  “Ah, more pets.”

  “Papyrus, get Frisk and MK away. Kids, listen to Papyrus, understand?” Your eyes didn’t drift away from the man before you. “Undyne- “

  “I’M GONNA DESTROY YOU!”

 Shit. “ _No!_ ”

 You managed to step in front of Undyne’s path, your heart stuttering at the sight of a glowing spear aiming for your face. Her yellow eye, having been narrowed at her intended target, widened in shock. She flung her weapon aside at just the right moment, toppling into you. You both crumpled on the ground in a tangled heap, groaning at her brute force.

  “Geez, you’re heavy…”

  “Well, if you hadn’t gotten in the way…”

 You pulled yourself to your feet, noticing Ian watching with a smirk. “If I hadn’t, it would have been bad. I don’t want to have you end up in prison…or worse.”

  “Heh, at least you got some of your brain left in that empty head.” Ian taunted.

  “ **Y O U  J U S T  D O N ‘ T  K N O W  W H E N  T O  S T O P .** ”

 Sans was beside you, his magic palpable and his anger even more so. You had to make sure neither Undyne or Sans went and attacked Ian, even if he rightfully deserved it. You were not going to let any of your family try and do anything stupid. If they needed to use any magic, it would be strictly in self-defense.

  “Undyne, go and call the police.” you instructed, using your mom voice without thinking.

  “But- “

  “Now.”

 She doesn’t try and argue again, stepping back in order to obey. Sans is still pulsing with his magic but doesn’t make a move.

  “Don’t do anything, bonehead. We’ll just wait until police arrive and we can hurry up and get out of here.”

  “Or we can make this easier.” Ian snaps.

 His hand moves, pulling it upright in a practiced motion and holding it steady: a gun, aimed right at you, finger on the trigger. Your blood ran cold, everyone going ridge at the object. You could hear the children whimper and Papyrus gently reassuring them. You hoped he was guarding their eyesight from this.

 You took a deep breath. “Ian. Put the gun down.”

  “How’s about I give you orders this time?” He cocked the gun between you and Sans, slowly. “I let you decide who I should shoot: you or your monster pets?”

  “Or you can quit throwing a temper tantrum and stop waving that around!” Undyne spoke out.

 The gun was turned in her direction, his eyes flashing. “Don’t make me have to get rid of you first, ya freak.”

 This was getting out of hand and you could feel Ian’s temper counting down like a bomb. You didn’t have much time before things exploded one way or another, and the police obviously wouldn’t make it on time. You racked your brain, hoping to find a way to diffuse everything, when Sans suddenly stepped in front of you, his magic still enveloping him.

  “ **Y O U ‘ R E  I N  F O R  A  B A D  T I M E .** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get ready to get DUNKKKKKEEEEDDDD OOOOOOONNNNNN


	30. Sans POV: The Final Straw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SansFangirl4Life, these next few chapters are dedicated to you. I meant what i said when I said you just had to ask. 
> 
> So! The next few chapters I put out will be Sans' side of things, from Chapter 26-29. Then we can continue on to the story~!
> 
> Enjoy, because it's nice and long.

Mondays sucked.

 There was no better way to put it and nobody could tell me otherwise. If I could, I’d throw them into the Void and have an even number of days in a week. Simple as that. This Monday, it wasn’t as hard to get out of bed, but I could feel some sort of restlessness in my bones. It was a similar feeling that I had back Underground, when that uneasy sense of déjà vu greeted me every morning and I could never put my finger on it.

 I could hear my bro rummaging around in the kitchen, as usual, as I made my way down the stairs, allowing myself a moment to linger on that feeling. It was almost like an itch I couldn’t reach, and it was frustrating. But the day would keep going and I didn’t need Paps worrying about my stupid sixth sense. It was time to smack a smile on my face and go about my day like nothing was wrong.

 As I walked in and sat down at the table that sat in the corner of the kitchen, Papyrus perked up considerably and paused in flipping something, setting it back on the stove.

  “GREAT MORNING, BROTHER! I AM SURPRISED TO SEE YOU UP SO EARLY WITHOUT BEING IN NEED OF MY HELP!”

  “heh, don’t get used to it, bro.”

 He sighed, turning back to his cooking, flipping a pancake (yum). “WELL, YOU SHOULD AT LEAST TRY, YOU KNOW.”

  “or what, you’ll go _flippin’_ mad?”

 He almost missed what I had said, opening his teeth to speak, but froze in place when it hit him. Snickering, I lay my head on the table, knowing the berating I would be getting any second now.

  “GAHHHHHHH!”

 Maybe today wouldn’t be bad after all. I let Paps rant away, his attention focused solely on me. I could see smoke beginning to rise from his pancakes. Oops.

  “bro, your pancakes…?”

 He gasped and spun around, yanking the pan off, but the damage was already done. He groaned and went to throw it away, loudly complaining the whole way. I guess I could be nicer, seeing as today was a Monday. Even my awesome brother wasn’t a huge fan of them.

  “so, got any plans for today?”

 His stance relaxed as he poured batter into the pan. “FRISK INVITED ME TO GO TO THE PARK, SINCE MISS TORIEL HAS OTHER THINGS TO ATTEND TO.”

  “nice. mind if I tag along?”

 It wasn’t that I didn’t think Paps couldn’t take care of himself and the kid, it was just that bad feeling that wasn’t going away. I would rather be with them and make sure nothing happened, if only to keep my paranoid thoughts from going wild.

  “OF COURSE! YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE, ANYWAY!”

 Heh. Typical response, but it was said with love.

  “OH! OH! PERHAPS WE SHOULD BRING (Y/N) WITH US!”

 Huh. “sure, why not?”

 He started to bounce up and down, clearly overjoyed to hang out with Frisk and their mom. As for myself, I was still struggling not to wince every time she was even brought up. I had no clue if she was being polite to me out of necessity or just to save me from the awkwardness, but I was always second-guessing myself whenever she was around. Either way, I didn’t deserve it. But, well…Frisk was just as forgiving, and they certainly didn’t get it from their pathetic father, so there was a possibility that there was nothing to worry about.

 Another thought occurred to me: I would basically be stuck with (y/n) for the entire day. Paps and the kid always ran off and played together, so I would usually just sit and chill on a park bench. But she would be joining us, which meant she would most likely be relaxing on a park bench with me.

 Crap.

* * *

 

 Frisk was the one to open the door the moment Papyrus excitedly knocked. They launched into Paps legs, all ready to go.

  “Frisk, who was-“ Tori came into view from the open doorway and smiled. “Oh, hello boys.”

  “WE ARE HERE TO TAKE FRISK TO THE PARK!”

  “I see that.” she giggled.

  “OH, FRISK! YOUR MOM IS GOING TO COME WITH US!”

 Their eyes went wide in delight, tugging at Papyrus towards the car. They were impatient to go, apparently. Tori sighed, but the fond smile on her face spoke enough.

  “Be safe, okay?” Frisk bobbed their head up and down. “And don’t go off by yourself, understand? It’s dangerous.”

 Frisk nodded in agreement once more before taking Papyrus by the hand and pulling him to the car, carelessly waving behind them. What a crazy kid.

  “(y/n) and i will keep an eye on ‘em.”

  “I’m just glad to see you two are getting along. I told you so.” she said smugly.

  “…see ya, tori.”

 I walked back to the car, my chin buried in my jacket. Did she really have to go saying that right now? Then again, I was the one to go and keep picking fights, so I guess she had the right to gloat a bit. Ugh.

  “HURRY UP, SANS! (Y/N) IS PROBABLY ALREADY THERE!”

  “Text her!” Frisk squealed from the back seat.

  “alright, alright. keep your SOUL in, kiddo.”

 I sent a quick text, internally questioning whether it would be okay to be so forward with her or be more subtle. Would she even care? I was giving way too much thought and energy into one stupid text.

  **Sans: frisk, paps and i are going to the park later. wanna join?**

 There. Straight to the point, but subtle enough to not be weird. I wasn’t expecting her to respond so quickly, though.

  **(y/n): I’m actually about to head to the park in a bit for a run. Can I join you afterwards?**

 Oh. Well, that made it easier.

  “paps, she’s gonna meet us at the park later. she’s going to jog around first.”

  “YOU SHOULD JOIN HER, LAZYBONES!”

  “nah. i’m all bones, anyway.”

  “SANS!”

 Frisk laughed as I made a finger gun at my bro, then went about texting (y/n) back.

  **Sans: sure.**

 As it sent, part of me was tempted to tell her to wait for us or have us pick her up but brushed it off and put my phone away. There was no reason to be overprotective when it came to her; she was a grown adult and could handle things on her own. Besides, that SOUL of hers could do anything.

* * *

 

 When we arrived, Frisk bolted out of the car in one practiced jump, intending to head off to the playground. Guess it was a good thing that I came along.

  “hold on there, bucko.” I flicked a hand their way and stopped them in their tracks. “’member what tori said?”

 They sighed but relented and waited until Paps and I had gotten out of the car. My magic released them with one quick motion and they were gone, Papyrus right behind them. There was barely anyone here, but I had spotted (y/n)’s car in the parking lot, so she was either jogging still or waiting for us to arrive. Should I text her and find out? It wouldn’t hurt, would it?

  **Sans: here. where are you?**

 I slowly made my way over to the playground, eyes glued to my screen. Was she still running then? Why was that bad itch in my bones getting worse?

  _Ding!_

  **(y/n): On my last lap. Heading over now!**

 The text should have soothed my paranoia, but it stayed where it was. What was going on? Was it Alphys or Undyne? No, they were partying it up with Traci. Tori? She was safe at home. Was it someone else I knew? Why couldn’t I just have a normal day?

 Sighing, I went and sat down at an empty bench, my mind spinning to find a solution; nothing came to me. What was I missing? I glanced up to see Frisk go down the slide, Paps sitting right behind them. They were safe and sound. Should I text everyone, just to lessen this feeling?

 No.

 Relax.

 You’re just overthinking.

 Sit and enjoy this day.

 …where was (y/n)? She should be here already. It had been a few minutes since she had responded to me, so where was she? I assessed the entire park, my SOUL sinking when I realized I didn’t see her anywhere. I slid out my phone, intending to call and see what was going on, then thought better of it.

  “paps! i’m gonna check on something for a second. stick with the kid, k?” I called out.

  “I SHALL DO MY BEST, BROTHER! NYEH!”

 I got up and stuck my phone back in my pocket, looking around the area again. Her car was clearly still parked here, so she hadn’t just driven off. Then had she taken a short break somewhere? Maybe, but my brain was throwing doubt on that assumption. It wouldn’t hurt to walk around the park and see if she was around.

 Ambling down the path, I looked around in hopes of spotting her. Maybe we would bump into one another and I could go about my day. That’s what I wanted to believe, anyway.

 That changed in a nanosecond when I spotted a familiar SOUL in the distance, shimmering from behind a tree. Leaning against that tree was a man, his eyes dark and his SOUL darker still. That itch had manifested into a burning pit, digging into me. MY feet quickened of their own accord, my eyes staring at the scene, unblinking. The closer I got, the more her SOUL came into focus; her SOUL wasn’t basking in this man’s presence, it was repulsed by him.

 I could see her now, I could see the way he was standing, holding her captive against the tree. His eyes were narrowed in glee, his hands fondling-

  **That monstrous bastard.**

 My mind snapped into instinctive mode, using a shortcut to put myself behind the tree. My magic danced for joy in the heat of my rage, unfurling into a mass of murderous claws.

  “So teasing. So- “

  “ **L E T.  H E R.  G O.** ”

 Stepping out into view, my magic flared to life, throwing him into a tree and holding him there. Oh, that felt nice. From the corner of my eye, (y/n) practically sank into down onto the ground, her SOUL twitching in an awfully similar way that I’d seen before. Damnit, that made me feel sick just seeing it like that. Why were humans so vile to their own kind? It was despicable.

  “ **I  C O U L D  E N D  Y O U  R I G H T  H E R E.** ” I could slam him repeatedly into everything until he was a bloody pulp. I could Gaster Blast him into oblivion. I could rip him apart with deadly bones. I could use the Void like I’ve been waiting to. “ **Y O U  W O U L D ‘ T  E V E N  B E  A B L E  T O  S C R E A M.** ”

 The man, whoever he was, stayed dazed and limp in my grip, groaning under his breath. How was he not unconscious from that shove? Maybe one more shift slam into the tree would do the trick.

  “Sans.”

 Shit, were my intentions written all over my face? I glanced down at her, keeping the man in place. She was clearly shaken to the core of her SOUL, but there was a resolute glint in her eyes as she looked at me.

  “Don’t. It’s too risky.”

 And let this criminal roam free? What he went after her again? Did humans become stupid when they went into shock?

 I almost wanted to snap at her, to ignore her words and finish off the poor scum; I could feel my magic respond in kind, ready to destroy at a moment’s notice. _But then what_ , my mind conjured up. I would, ironically, judged and put into prison (or worse), monsters would have another bad mark on their race and this man would just be dead. There was nothing to win from if I offed him.

 Damnit.

 My hand brushed the man off into the distance, letting my magic do most of the damage. I could feel the satisfying thud as his body hit the ground, then stayed there. Not exactly what I wanted, but it would suffice…for now.

  “Sans!” (y/n) cried.

  “…he’s fine. he’ll live.” Reel in the rage, reel in the magic. Take deep breath. Relax. “sadly.”

 Now that I wasn’t blinded by anger, I turned my attention to her and her SOUL. Both were still shaky, unnerved at what had just happened in the span of a few minutes. Her eyes were wide, looking off in the direction of where I had tossed the man. What was their relationship, now that I think about it? They seemed to know each other. Would Traci know, or would she tell me on her own?

 Probably not the best time to be focused on that.

  “you okay?”

 She snapped out of her trance, looking up at me. Why were her expressions not matching with her quivering SOUL? Something was wrong.

  “…no.”

 Well, at least she was honest. “yeah, that was a stupid question. can you stand?”

 She shifted, but it was like she had forgotten how to use her legs. That meant I would have to help her up, which meant I would have to touch her. The last thing she probably wanted was to be touched right now.

  “No.”

 That’s what I thought. I moved forward, intending to help her to her feet, but stopped myself before I extended a hand. This was…a delicate situation. I needed to tread carefully here.

  “um…i’m only touching you to help you up. don’t…don’t freak out.”

 Damnit, I’m so bad at this sort of thing.

 She just nodded, giving me permission to lean down and take hold of her arm, attempting to be as gentle as possible. I failed that, of course, because she flinched away from the contact. Immediately, I let her go, taking a step back for good measure.

  “sorry, sorry! i won’t touch you, alright?”

 The withered look she threw at me spoke volumes. “Sans, you’d better get me as far away from this park as you can, so either you pick me up or call someone else to do it.”

 I wasn’t about to let Paps or the kid near that snake in the grass, so that wasn’t an option. Traci, Undyne and Alphys were all out having fun, so it was doubtful they would answer their phones. Toriel would be the best choice in this, honestly, but…for some reason, I blamed myself. I had felt that incoming warning since this morning, but I hadn’t been more cautious, more aware. And this was the end result.

 This was something I needed to do myself…if she would allow it, of course.

  “do ya trust me?”

 A puzzled response: “…huh?”

 I wouldn’t do it if she didn’t actually trust me. I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t, either. But I hoped she would, at least to some degree, be able to trust me enough to help her.

  “do. you. trust. me?”

 I waited in tense silence as she rolled the question around in her head, trying not to sweat up a storm. If this had been a less intense scene, I would have laughed at all of this. From practically hating her guts to anxiously hoping she trusted me. What a change.

  “Yeah.” She finally spoke. I nearly sagged in relief. “But w- “

 No time to explain, not when her SOUL was in need of repair. Get her out of here first and into safety; explanations could come later.

  “then don’t move and don’t freak out.” I brought out my magic, aiming my hand in her direction. “just relax.”

 Her eyes widened at my posture, pressing herself closer to the tree. I didn’t like the spot of fear I saw in her eyes, the uncertainty and disbelief.

  “Uh, Sans? What are you- “

 She needed to calm down, else my magic could potentially hurt her. I had to get her to cooperate, to ease into my magic without struggling…which she was trying to do right now. Damnit, this was not going well. Maybe if I used my magic and sent soothing signals through it…? Nope, she was still freaking out.

  “(y/n), relax. i’m not gonna hurt you.”

 Flashing irritation slapped me through our magical contact, followed by more distress and doubt. This wasn’t helping matters, or her SOUL, in any way.

  “Really?! Your actions say otherwise!”

 Touché.

  “i’m just using my magic to pick you up. i’m not gonna hurt you. you can still move and talk, if you haven’t noticed.” Was that reassuring?

 She paused in her panic to test my words for herself, looking over her hand and flexing her fingers as my magic stayed glued to her. Her muscles loosened then, her SOUL doing the same. It was so much easier to use my magic on her when she was like this.

  “there ya go. just relax.” I advised softly.

  “This still feels weird.”

 But better than physical contact, I’m sure. “i know. i’m gonna pick you up now.”

 Her entire being rested in my hands. She just nodded and looked at me with tired eyes. Gah, why hadn’t I been quicker in getting here?

  “I trust you.”

 Why did those three words send my SOUL flying?

 Ignore it for now. Right now, (y/n) was my main focus.

 Carefully, I pulled her up off the ground, making my magic as comfortable as I could. She let it happen without so much as a squirm, watching as her feet left the ground. I didn’t expect her to curl up and cuddle into my magic like it was a giant pillow. Such a small gesture of trust, yet it thrilled me…?

  “paps and the kid are waitin’ for us.” I blurted out.

 She just went lax in my hold. “…can we go see Toriel?”

  “yeah, of course.” Tori could get her SOUL back to normal. “just sit tight.”

 Making our way back to the playground, the kid managed to spot us and alerted Paps, both of them running towards us.

  “Mom!”

 Oh. Wow. That set off an overload of motherly love from you and smashed me into the ground. Geez, why had I thought you were a threat to Frisk again?

  “SANS, YOU MUSTN’T PRANK FRISK’S MOM WITH YOUR MAGIC! IT’S VERY RUDE!”

 Frisk was trying to reach for (y/n) with both hands, giggling and jumping around. She was smiling, but there was something…off about her.

  “He was only helping me, Papyrus. It’s fine.”

 Uh…um…

  “i’ll set ya down now.”

 Before I do or say anything stupid.

 The moment I retracted my magic to let her feet touch solid ground, I silently cursed myself for my own stupidity. Gravity was different for humans, more prominent. She instantly crumbled, and I reached out to grab her while Paps did the same on her other side. Thankfully, she didn’t flinch or scream at the contact, but her body reminded me more of a doll whose strings had just been cut.

  “Mom…? What’s wrong?” I heard the kid mutter.

 I winced at the sight of those identical SOULs, tinged in shadow, echoed one another in their worry and fear and DETERMINATION. I kept my hold on her but said nothing as (y/n) reached down to Frisk.

  “I…I’m fine, hon. I just…” She began to choke up, sounding on the verge of tears. “I…”

  “Mom…” Frisk seemed to be at a loss for words.

 So was I.

 Her body started to shake, sobs coming from her lowered head. She was crying, her hands outstretched for the kid in a desperate need for comfort. Comfort that I failed to give.

  “WHY DID YOU MAKE HER CRY, SANS?” my bro huffed.

 I opened my mouth to argue, then stopped myself. I hadn’t been the one to make her cry (hopefully). Humans had done this, had been the one to hurt another of their own kind and leave behind tears and fear and stress. Part of me wanted to head back to where I had left that man and give him a good dunking, but I knew (y/n) and Tori wouldn’t approve of it.

  “i didn’t, bro. someone else did.”

 (y/n) suddenly seemed to snap, her sobs loud and nerve-wracking and pained. She didn’t say anything, which only made me more concerned.

  “SANS, IS SHE BROKEN?!”

  “we need to get her to tori’s.”

 Papyrus didn’t hesitate to take (y/n) up into his arms, cradling her form as he headed for the car. I only caught a glimpse of her face there, but it was enough to spot the tears pooling down her face and the overwhelmed expression on her face. Frisk followed after Paps, glancing up at his mother with tears of their own slowly moving down their face. They leaned against my brother and repeated something softly to her, but I couldn’t stand watching it anymore.

 From here on out, I swore to myself, I would do everything I could to protect (y/n) too.

 


	31. Sans POV: Sleepover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! Geez, I take forever to write these.
> 
> Anyway! I hope you enjoy another POV of our skeleton friend here.

 The ride to Tori’s was strained with emotion, broken only by (y/n)’s soft sobs and Frisk’s quiet murmurs of comfort in the back of the car. I couldn’t stop myself from looking back there every so often to check on them, wishing there was something I could do.

 When we arrived, Frisk was the one to take the distraught woman out of the car and guide her into the house. Paps and I stayed behind them, waiting as Frisk knocked (even though they lived here).

  “Well, you weren’t out for very lo…what happened?” Tori said as she opened the door.

 She takes in Frisk and (y/n), of the grimaces on my brother and my own face, then inhales sharply. Her eyes turn to me for an answer.

  “she got attacked. some human man…tried to do some bad stuff to her.”

 She covers her mouth as she fills in the gaps of the story, blinking back sudden tears. She waves everyone inside, quietly telling Frisk to set (y/n) down in the living room. Tori stopped me as she shut the door, letting Paps and Frisk take care of things for the moment.

  “Was it Ian?”

  “no. i think it was her boss. she said he was foreign guy with dark hair. had a darker SOUL. kinda reminded me of ian, though.”

  “Did he…I pray he didn’t manage to…”

 I shook my head. “got there before he got a little too excited.”

  “…thank you, Sans. I don’t want to imagine…”

 She cuts herself off, tears already beginning to fall. Oh boy.

  “tori…?”

  “We’ll ask her later.” Tori concluded. “Right now, she needs her family.”

 I followed behind Tori into the living room, watching as she knelt in front of (y/n), where Frisk and Paps were snuggled in close.

  “How could humans do this to their own kind?” Tori chokes out. “She’s suffered enough as it is. My poor girl…”

 Paps looks up at me, clearly upset and worried and wanting to help. Always so willing to be a helping hand.

  “…is she broken, Sans?”

 It was the same thing he had asked me back in the park, but now his tone is serious. He’s scared for (y/n), for someone he considers family. My bro was the best.

  “no, she’s comin’ back to us. give her a moment.” I reassure.

 Tori is murmuring quietly, trying to offer comfort and her back to her senses. From the looks of things, (y/n)’s SOUL was shredding, like pulling a piece of thread from a sweater as it slowly unraveled. She needed more than just simple words and gestures.

 She needed magic.

  “tori, i think her SOUL is in need of some healing, too.”

 Both Paps and Tori gaze down and wince in tandem at the sight. Tori jumps to her feet.

  “Oh! Oh, yes, of course! I have a pie from yesterday that I can- “ She wipes her face of tears, pulling a brave face. “I’ll add a bit more, just to be safe.”

 She heads into the kitchen, easing into a motherly state as she takes out her pie, going about cutting a slice and setting it on a plate. She held her hands over the plate and concentrated, green fire harmlessly engulfing the pie as she infused it with healing magic. The more, the better.

 She comes back with magic pie in hand, holding it out to her.

  “Here, my dear. Please try to finish it.”

 (y/n) accepted and took a bite without arguing, balancing the plate so as not to push aside Paps or the kid. Her SOUL sucks in the green magic like a sponge, glowing faintly before slowly repairing. (y/n) twitches at that, making a face that reminded me of the kid when they ate Nice Cream for the first time. It was the funniest thing.

  “Oh, did I put too much?  I didn’t kn- “

 Tori, you worry too much.

  “nah, that was perfect.” I interrupted. “her SOUL is reacting nicely to it.”

 All eyes turn to see if my words are true, but (y/n) brushes that aside and goes in for another bite of pie. Each bite she takes brings her SOUL back to itself, all bright and full and beauti-

 Uhhhhhh.

 Backtrack, rewind, cancel that.

 Say something, you idiot. Anything.

  “think you can talk for a bit?”

 Yeah, make sure she’s okay. There we go.

 Mouth full of magical pie, she nodded at me. She looked just like Frisk when they were stuffing their face.

  “It’ll take her body a moment to settle. My magic will make it go quicker, though. Take another bite, hon.” Tori insists.

 She moves to obey, and I suck in a breath to say what I’d been holding in for quite a while:

  “you need to quit.”

 The response is an instantaneous halt of everyone’s actions, a pregnant pause pressing on us all. For a moment, I wonder if the creep in the park wasn’t her boss after all, and I assumed wrong. Then, after a breath or two, she sighs and sets the food down, exhaustion in her eyes.

  “I know you’re right. I wish I had just done that earlier.”

 So that nasty creature in the park had been her boss, huh? Oh, he’d better hope we don’t bump into each other on the streets in the future.

  “Does that mean you are?” Tori gasps.

 That weary look grows on her face. Uh oh.

 Soft, slow tears trickle down her face, dropping into her forgotten pie. Frisk is looking up at his mother with wide eyes, bottom lip wobbling. They share emotions in such an uncanny way; it’s no wonder they’re of the same blood.

  “Did we break her, Sans?”

 My bro looked so lost, sockets taking in the tears and the fatigue with no way of fixing it. He worried too much, though. Just seeing her SOUL showed that it was far from weighed with sadness or pain. If anything, it was growing stronger and better.

  “nah.”

  “Eat.” Tori pressed.

 She took a bite, then huffed out a laugh.

  “I’m a hot mess.”

  “Oh hush.” Tori smiled. “I’ll get you some tissues. Keep eating.”

 She does so without complaint, sniffing loudly. Papyrus is practically hovering over her, wanting to do something to help.

  “You…will be okay, right?” he asks.

  “…I will be.” She wraps one arm around Frisk, who returns the hug fully. “I am right now, actually. I’m so glad I have you all in my life.”

 It was a good thing to say for Paps and the kid, but it was completely honest.

  “THAT IS- “ Paps stops himself from using his normal voice. “oh…oops. I didn’t mean to…”

  “You can talk normally, Papy. I don’t want you being all quiet on me.”

 He grins in delight. “I WILL DO WHATEVER HEALS YOU FASTER!”

 I couldn’t be happier to see this interaction. Most humans were put off by my brother’s loud voice and intimidating stature, but she never saw him as a scary being.

 She just saw him as my awesome brother.

  “Thank you. You’re already doing a wonderful job.”

  “I KNOW! NYEH HEH HEH!” he says, hopping to his feet and striking a pose.

 That sounds more like my bro. Everything was going to be okay.

  “Here you are.” Tori hands over tissue, then takes in the lighthearted mood. “It’s good to see you smile again.”

  “Yeah. Papyrus has that sort of effect.”

 Paps sat back down and wrapped everyone into a group hug. It was a bundle of tears and smiles. What a day this turned out to be.

  “Finish your pie, (y/n).” Tori said softly. “Your SOUL needs it.”

 The rest of the plate is cleaned off, handing the empty plate to Tori. Paps and Frisk continue to have their snuggle fest on the couch, having refused to let go of her this entire time. She didn’t seem to mind, her body shifting to get more comfortable. I almost laughed when she opened her mouth and let out a yawn, eyelids already sliding shut. Her body was finally calming down and she was probably exhausted.

  “finally catchin’ up to you, huh?”

 She just shifted her shoulders in a half-hearted shrug. “It’s been a long day.”

 Understatement of the year, but yeah.

 Frisk, who had been so quiet, spoke up. “Can you stay the night here?”

  “OH! OH! CAN WE SLEEP OVER TOO, SANS?”

 Figures that my bro would jump on the sleepover bandwagon. But it didn’t sound like a bad idea, so long as Tori didn’t have a problem with it. I glanced up to make eye contact with said person as she walked back into the living room, her hands folded in front of her. She must have heard the conversation, because she laughed at the eager expression on my brother’s face and nodded.

  “That’s fine. You know you’re all welcome here.”

 Paps immediately started celebrating, long limbs flailing in his excitement. At least the heavy atmosphere had vanished, so that was good.

  “SHE SAID YES! CAN WE, BROTHER?”

 Tori was fine with it and (y/n) was in need of company, so I saw no issue with staying. I could sleep anywhere.

  “sure, why not?”

  “WHOOPIE!!!”

 Paps suddenly went and picked up Frisk and (y/n) from the couch, swinging them around and grinning widely. Tori let it go on for a little bit before stepping in, trying not to laugh at his antics.

  “Alright, settle down. It’s bedtime and (y/n) needs some rest.”

 My bro knew that meant to head upstairs and grab some pajamas he had left here for cases like this. Putting (y/n) and Frisk down, he raced to go get ready for bed. (y/n), who was cradling Frisk the entire time, set them down with a sweet smile.

  “Go get ready for bed.” she said, sending them off with a kiss on the top of their head.

 It didn’t take long to hear the kid and my bro chasing each other and mess around. Typical sleepover shenanigans.

  “Oh gosh. There they go again.” Tori groaned, but let it slide and turned to (y/n). “Let me get you something to wear to bed. I would give you the guest room, but Papyrus can’t fit the couch. I hope you don’t mind taking it instead.”

  “No, this is just fine.” (y/n) yawned.

 Every yawn was getting me sleepy. Ugh.

  “I’ll be right back.”

 Once Tori got to the second floor, Tori’s scolding could be heard, followed by silence. Seems like she got Paps and Frisk to settle down.

 A muffled giggle caught my attention, my eyes turning to see (y/n) looking up at the ceiling and laughing quietly. That was more like it. Once she quit that job of hers, that smile would come much more often.

 …she w _as_ going to quit, right? She hadn’t exactly said those words, but those were her intentions…right?

  “you promise you’ll quit first thing in the morning?” I couldn’t help myself from asking.

 I needed to hear her say it.

 Her eyes went to me, blinking at the question I had blurted out. Then, a small smile spread on her lips and my body reacted in a snap, sweat dripping down my skull. Crap.

  “Promise. But for now,” She fell back onto the couch, sinking into the cushions. “let’s all get some sleep.”

 Yeah. I needed to rest and relax before I started thinking weird stuff again.

  “heh. now you’re speakin’ my language.”

 I nearly made a mistake and sat down next to her on the couch, stopping myself and moving over to sit in Tori’s armchair. Just…don’t be weird. Act normal and don’t spout out any nonsense.

  “Here you are.” Tori bustles in at just the right time, clothes in hand. “It’s one of my nightgowns, but it should suffice.”

 Accepting the clothing with a quiet thank you, she went to go change and I managed to finally go lax in the chair with a heavy sigh.

 And now Tori was looking at me with twinkle in her eyes that spelled out trouble. Uh oh.

  “what?”

  “Nothing. I’m just observing things from afar.”

 She disappeared upstairs, leaving me a sweaty mess in her living room, half-tempted to go and demand she explain herself. What the hell did she mean by that?

  “Weeeeeee!!!!”

 Oh, here comes Paps and the kid. A good a distraction as any.

  “what’s up, bro?”

  “WE WANT TO SLEEP HERE WITH YOU AND (Y/N)!”

 Good. Good idea. That way, I wasn’t left alone with the woman should anything happen. Wait, that came out wron-

 UGH. My brain needs to just shut up.

  “yeah. but she gets the couch, bro.”

  “I SHALL GO MAKE A FLOOR BED FOR MYSELF!”

  “what about you, kiddo?”

 They were already curling up on the couch with a happy smirk as their answer.

  “heh. alright then.”

 Paps returned with blankets in tow, dumping them on the floor and arranging them in a haphazard way, creating a sort of nest for himself to sleep in. He did leave two blankets aside to drop on the kid and me.

  “thanks, paps.”

  “NOW WE WAIT FOR HER TO COME SEE THE SURPRISE!” Paps squealed, sitting beside Frisk.

 It didn’t take much longer for…oh…

 Dressed in Tori’s nightgown, she looked like more like a princess in a medieval gown than a grown woman in a monster’s nightdress.

 How did she work that so well?

  “WE’RE ALL SLEEPING HERE TONIGHT! THAT WAY IT’S REALLY LIKE A SLEEPOVER!” Paps exclaimed.

 A smile fit for a princess too. Crap, pretend to be sleeping or something.

  “Alright, but you actually have to go to sleep.” she playfully said.

 My bro goes and curls up in his nest without complaining, closing his sockets. I can’t keep my eyes closed, however.

  “Where are you sleeping, Frisky-bits?” she asks with a fond smile.

 Small hands reach out. “Can I sleep with you on the couch?”

 The motherly love melts onto her face, unable to refuse the child. Without a word, she pulled off the blanket and laid down, opening her arms out for Frisk to climb into. It reminded me of when Paps was about that size, crawling into bed with me after a nightmare.

 She was a really good mother.

 I can already hear the familiar snores of my brother, but even as I yawn, I find myself wide awake. Maybe turning off the living room light would help.

 Flick.

 Time passes for a while, with Frisk’s tiny snores joining in with my bro’s. Was (y/n) still awak-

  “…Sans?”

 Oh. She is. Should I pretend to be asleep? No, it might be important.

  “hm?”

  “Thank you for today. If there’s anything I can do to help you, let me know.” She whispers out in the dark. “It’s the least I can do.”

 She’s thanking me. Like I deserved it. I could have come to her aid quicker if I hadn’t been so stupid, but I kept ignoring the warnings and _she was thanking me?!_

 There wasn’t any way to respond from that. Why did I say anything in the first place?

 I need to say something, though. But don’t be awkward about it.

  “heh. don’t worry about it.”

 Okay, not bad.

 She started to protest. “But- “

  “get some rest.” I urged her.

 She went silent, letting it go. After a few minutes, I hear her breathing slowly, deep in sleep.

  “night, (y/n).”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welllllllll, you seem to have a few thoughts stored in that mind of yours, Sansy boy. Mind sharing with the group?


	32. Sans POV: A New Option

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! This here is going to be short on purpose.  
> Why?  
> Because the next one of Sans POV is gonna be loooonnnngggggg. Which also means it's going to take a while to write it up.
> 
> But I hope you've been enjoying these as much as I have, because it just gets more fun~

We all waited for (y/n) as she went about writing out her resignation, her brows furrowed as she typed. Frisk sat in her lap, content to simply be there and ignoring the words on the screen. Minutes passed, Undyne and my bro shifted anxiously about, Alphys started to chew on her knuckles. I could feel myself twitching every so often, trying not to show my own distress.

 After a good few minutes, she stopped typing, looked over the screen and nodded.

 Click. Send. Done.

 A wide smile flickered onto her face as she looked up at all of us. “Done.”

  “WOOHOO!” Undyne screeched.

 The fish picked Alphys up and started to spin around wildly, cackling in victory. I could feel the way all tension vanished from (y/n)’s SOUL, calm as can be.

  “We need to celebrate!” Traci spoke up.

 Undyne turned and flashed her sharp teeth. “YES! That’s exactly what we need to do!”

  “A PARTY?! THAT SOUNDS LIKE A WONDERFUL IDEA! WE MUST START MAKING PARTY SPAGHETTI!”

 Everyone was smiling and laughing, eager to celebrate. Undyne and Paps were already heading into the kitchen to help each other make party spaghetti, with Tori right behind them.

  “I’m gonna follow your example.” Traci said on my left.

 That caught my attention quickly. Traci wanted to quit, too? Not that I blame her.

  “Huh? Really?” (y/n) asked.

  “Well, I’m going to put my two-weeks in while I search for a job.”

 (y/n) groaned and pouted. “And I need to find a new job too. Which is going to suck.”

 Heh. That pout was a nice look on her.

  “you’ll manage.”

 She just smiled up at me. That was a good look on her, too.

  “I’ll get through this because I have all of you.” she softly said, looking down at Frisk before they went and ran off.

 Oh. Well…uh…

 Am I sweating? I’m sweating, aren’t I? Does she notice? No? Good. But…crap, Traci was looking at me with a raised brow and a small smirk on her face. Crap!

  “So Sans,” Traci glanced over at (y/n) with that smirk, clearly enjoying what was about to unfold. “I’m curious. How does a skeleton…hm, how do I put this lightly…how do they procreate?” Someone just Dust me now. “I mean, you and Papyrus are here, so there’s gotta be an explanation, right?”

 Was she really going to ask me this right now, with (y/n) right here? This woman was worse than Undyne and Alphys put together.

  “ _Traci!_ ”

 She looked at her friend with a sly grin, completely unapologetic. I really hope I wasn’t blushing or anything.

  “What? I’m just asking him. It’s a valid question.”

  “Sans, don’t mind her. She sometimes doesn’t know when to behave.” (y/n) scoffed.

 Could the Void just come and take me?

  “er…right.”

  “Then let’s see if you can help me in a different department.” Traci piped in, then rolled her eyes at the glare she was receiving from (y/n). “Relax, it’s nothing inappropriate.”

  “Good.”

 Traci turned to me with sultry gaze. “You and Mr. Hottie are friends, right?”

 Uhhhh…who the heck was she talkin’ about?

  “Grillby.” She explained. “You guys know each other, right?”

 I couldn’t stop the short bout of laughter that bubbled out of me at her words. Did she really just call Grillby, one of the oldest monsters alive, ‘Mr. Hottie’? She was such an interesting human. (y/n) had just put her head in her hands in defeat at this point, which got me to laugh harder. I sucked in a breath once I calmed down, beaming up at this dark-skinned female.

  “yeah, we’re friends. what about it?”

  “Willing to throw any tips at a little lady that’s interested in him?” she inquired.

  “Traci, stop talking.”

 It seemed (y/n) was just getting further embarrassed at her friend’s antics too. It almost brought about another round of laughter.

  “i mean, he’s an old SOUL. not sure if he would date ya, even if he wanted to.” I answered truthfully.

 Of course, this woman barely even batted an eye at the information and looked me head on as she seriously said:

  “So you think it’s possible to catch his eye?”

 Well, she seemed pretty set on trying to get a date with Grillby and who was I to stop her? I shrugged and winked at her.

  “if anyone is gonna intrigue him, i’d say you’ve got a pretty good chance.”

  “Sans, don’t encourage her.” (y/n) deadpanned.

  “what, I can’t fan the flames a bit?”

 Oh, the look on her face was far too similar to the one Paps gave me when he had to process my words. That expression should be framed on a wall.

  “You’ve got me fired up for when I see him again.” Traci jumped in.

 No. Freakin’. Way.

 My head snapped back to Traci, who was looking positively smug as (y/n) got up from the table.

  “You guys are ridiculous. I’ll be in the kitchen, you weirdos.”

 She wandered off, leaving Traci and I alone at the table to laugh our heads off. That had been way too fun, but so worth it. All that changed when the crazy woman snapped back into serious mode, her eyes wide and bright. My own laughter trailed off as I took in her intense stare.

  “uh…what? somethin’ on my face?”

  “You’re single, right?”

 Wait, what?

  “why d- “

  “Of course you are.” she answered for me.

  “okay, gonna stop ya right there. you just said you were going after grillby.”

 She rolled her eyes, like I should know where she was going with this.

  “Not for me, dear. No offense, but I don’t think we’re very compatible as a romantic possibility.”

  “uh, okay then.”

  “Wait, pause.” She leaned in towards me. “Question: what do you look for in a person you want to date?”

 Should I just get up and leave? A glance into the kitchen showed Paps and Undyne bouncing around while Tori kept a vigilant eye on them. (y/n), Alphysand Frisk were probably in the living room and playing games while waiting for the food.

  “where are you goin’ with this?” I finally asked, looking warily back at Traci.

  “Come on, Sans. You aren’t a bad guy, you’re single, you’re funny and you’re super protective. Not to mention you two get along like butter and cream.”

 Okay, she was being completely serious.

  “you’re really gonna try and play matchmaker here?”

 She groaned. “(y/n) says the same thing.”

  “yeah, well, she’s got a point.”

  “But- “

  “i’m gonna go make sure paps doesn’t burn anything.”

 I got up in a rush, shoving my hands into my pockets to hide that they were shaking. Why did Traci have to go and say stuff like that? I was already having weird thoughts about (y/n) and I didn’t need anyone making it worse. She was family, she was a friend. She was Frisk’s _mother_ , for cryin’ out loud!

  “ugh…”

 Tori, having heard my small exclaim, turned to me.

  “Everything alright, Sans?”

  “…yeah. just peachy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just...peachy, huh? 
> 
> ....
> 
> Looks like Traci hit a nerve there. Care to clue us in, Sans?


	33. Sans POV: Moving Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally finished. Not bad timing, if I do say so myself.
> 
> BUT!  
> I'm back in school now (last semester, yay~), which means chapters from now on will be few and far between. Just a warning.
> 
> SO, here's the latest POV of Mr. Skelly for you all. Hope it's good!

  “You’re gonna be moving _here_?! Dude, that’s awesome!”

  “NOW I CAN SEE ALL THREE OF YOU AT THE SAME TIME!”

  “I-it’d probably be b-best.”

  “It’s going to be easier keeping an eye on you, too. You attract trouble like sugar to an ant.”

  “…thanks, Trac’.” The sarcasm in her voice was thick. “Because I just love trouble.”

 I didn’t know what to say after hearing the news from Tori and (y/n). Moving here, in Tori’s place? Not that it was a bad idea or anything. In fact, it sounded pretty logical after the few events that had occurred. She needed to be closer to family and put in a safe zone before things got worse and Tori’s house was perfect.

 …I just didn’t know what I was going to do now that I’d be seeing more of her. Everyone was always drawn to Tori’s house, with its warm atmosphere and magical food and the kid. Now she was gonna be hangin’ around, was going to be moving in, and that opened a whole new bag of chisps.

  “So…I was wondering…” (y/n) looks at each one of us in turn. “Would any of you be able to help me pack up and move in by tomorrow? I just think that it’s better to do this as quickly as we can. I don’t need any more problems jumping me.”

 Undyne doesn’t even hesitate. “I’m totally in! Alpy here has work tomorrow.”

  “OH, OH! ME TOO!”

 Frisk bounces up to (y/n) and tugs on her clothes. “Me too.”

  “Frisk, you need to go to school first.” Tori reminded them sternly.

  “Then afterwards?” they pout.

 They definitely got that look from their mother.

  “Very well.”

  “Can I bring MK too?” they further inquire.

 Tori frowns. “Now Frisk- “

  “That’s fine, hon.” (y/n) jumped in quickly. “I’d love to meet one of your friends.”

 Frisk grinned and hugged her legs, then bounded off. Typical kid.

  “SANS! YOU SHOULD JOIN US IN THE PACKING OF BOXES!”

 Oh come on. Really Paps? Now everyone was looking at me (Traci and Tori weren’t exactly hiding the smirks on their faces) for an answer. Peer pressure much?

  “uh…yeah, I guess.”

  “GOOD! YOU NEED TO EXERCISE MORE, ANYWAY!”

  “with what muscles, bro?”

  “THE BONELY KIND!”

 Ugh.

* * *

 

 Arriving the next day (after Frisk and MK had gotten home from school), (y/n) opened the door with ruffled hair and an energetic smile.

  “Just in time! Come on in!”

 Ushering everyone inside, I can see she’s already been hard at work, with some boxes stacked near the door and labeled appropriately and more empty boxes scattered around, ready to be filled. She certainly wasn’t wasting any time.

  “I already did most of my living room, not counting the furniture. My bedroom is halfway done, but I thought I should finish the living room first. The moving van should be here soon, so I want to get this finished fast.” She pointed to the kitchen. “Paps, Undyne? Could you both do the kitchen for me? I don’t think I can manage that mess right now.”

  “Heck yeah!”

  “YES MA’AM!”

 They snatched up four boxes and disappeared, shortly followed by slamming cabinet doors and banging pots and pans.

  “Don’t break anything, please!”

 Frisk gently brought MK forward, who had been shyly hiding behind the kid the whole time. I highly doubted he would be fearful for long, though.

  “Are you MK?” She got down on her knees, getting at eye level with the kids. “I’m Frisk’s mom. It’s nice to meet you.”

 She stuck out her hand with that harmless smile, calm and collected…until noticing the lack of arms on the little guy.

  “Oh!” Embarrassed, her hand lowered. “I apologize, I didn’t- “

  “It’s fine, ma’am.” MK quietly said.

 There was that smile again. She laid her hand on MK’s head, tilting her head at him.

  “You’re a very sweet monster, MK.”

 He stood upright at the compliment. “Thank you! So are you, Frisk’s mom!”

  “You and Frisk can stick together, okay? Just try and stay out of the way, alright?”

 He bobbed his yellow head up and down. “You got it!”

 With that, Frisk ran off into the house and squealed as their friend went after them…which left just me and her.

 She got to her feet. “Well, they’ll probably stay busy for a while.”

  “yeah.”

 There was a strand of hair in her face that I wanted to…never mind, she got it.

  “Oh, sorry. I forgot to assign you something. Follow me.”

 She made her way into the hall and I walked along behind her. She turned left and I stepped in after to her-

 This was her bedroom. With a King-sized bed and long curtains and bookshelves and-

  “I’ve been trying to take apart stuff, like my bed and bookshelves, but I can’t seem to be smarter than then equipment. Would you mind…?” she asked.

  “sure.” I wanted to make a bed pun, but my mind seemed to have short-circuited.

  “Thank you. I’ll be in the living room if you need me.”

 She left, giving me the opportunity to exhale and take off my hoodie, feeling hot and uncomfortable. Why was I making a big deal out of this? My mind was being stupid, honestly. I had been in Tori’s and Alphys’ bedroom with no problems. Why did I have to freak out over (y/n)’s room?

  “just get to work and don’t think about it.” I told myself.

 I tackled her bookshelves first, using all my concentration on taking them apart and slowly easing into it, unwinding as I used my hands. This wasn’t so bad. I could hear Undyne yelling at Paps in the kitchen and the kids running around, enjoying themselves. This was pretty nice, actually.

 Once every piece of her bookshelves were stacked to the side, I turned to her bed. At least she had stripped off the bedding, so that made this easier. I just needed to get the mattress out of the way, something she hadn’t dared try to do on her own. But, then again, she didn’t have magic.

 It took almost no effort to pick the entire thing up and set it up against a wall, leaving me with the bedframe. I moved forward, trying to decide on where to start, when something outside flickered in my view. I turned and narrowed my eyes at the window, half-expecting to see Ian standing out there. Instead, a large moving van had just drove up, slowly parking into an empty spot.

 Guess I should go tell her.

 Slipping my hoodie back on, I found that she was still in the living room, which now only consisted of her bigger furniture. She was staring at the sight of MK and Frisk, both of them trying to catch one another around the couch, a fond smile on her face. In her hands were books, a half-filled box set in front of her. She seemed so…tranquil. I almost didn’t want to spoil the moment and have that expression of hers vanish.

  “heya.” Her head turned, coming back to reality. “the moving van just arrived. should we start taking boxes out?”

  “Oh! I almost forgot about that, thanks for reminding me.” She abandoned her task and got up. “Papyrus! Undyne! Van is here, so let’s start taking boxes out!”

 My bro and Undyne didn’t even let her finish her sentence before they headed out the door with piles of boxes in hand, clearly competing to see who could get to the van first. Let’s hope they didn’t drop anything.

 (y/n) just shook her head at their antics, then picked up a box herself, going out the open door that Undyne had failed to close.

  “Frisk, MK! Stay here, okay? Mr. Sans is going to be here while we put away the boxes!

 Did she just call me ‘Mr. Sans’? Pfft.

  “Wait, we wanna come!” MK shouted, running past me and out the door.

 I rolled my eyes as Frisk followed right behind their friend, leaving me to stand here by myself. No point in me staying here, then. Should I grab a box, then? I glanced over at the box she had stopped packing with books and grinned: perfect.

 With a quick motion, the remaining books were set inside, and the box sealed shut before flying into my hands. Magic was such a great thing to have. It certainly made it easier when this box was so damn heavy.

 I had barely made it outside before Undyne passed me, with Paps right on her heels, both of them smiling and laughing. Frisk and MK, who were either playing tag or some other game, were chasing each other and managed to use me as a blockade in their silliness. I had to hold the box higher in order to avoid them from smacking their heads on the box. That wouldn’t be a pretty sight.

 Suddenly, the box I had been holding was gone, startling me. My magic flickered away from the box as I looked away from the kids, just in time to watch (y/n)'s face morph into shock.

  “Holy-! What’s even  _in_  this?!” (y/n) exclaimed.

 Gravity had settled back onto the box, leaving her with an overweight load in her human hands. How she was managing to still hold onto it was a mystery. It was kinda funny to see her holding it, though.

  “i had it, ya know.”

 She glared at me over the top of the box. “Sans, I swear…if you put rocks in this thing just to be a jerkwad, I’m going to dump these on your head.”

 That was actually a good idea. Wish I’d thought of it.

 Her fingers began to lose their hold, the weight becoming too much. She obviously didn’t find this funny, but with the way she looked right now, with her messy hair and DETERMINED stare and still carrying that box, got me laughing. She growled under her breath at my lack of action, trying to readjust her hands, but she didn’t have enough strength to hold on.

  “Help me, damnit!”

 Alright, alright. I suppose I could be nice and offer a helping hand. I could hear the kids trying to muffle their own laughter beside me.

  “hold still.”

 I didn’t really think it through when I used my magic on her to lift both her and the box into the air, but I immediately wished I had done so sooner. The moment I took gravity off of her and she began to rise off the ground, her face changed into calm awe, instantly relaxing into my magic like it was the most natural thing in the world.

 And then she laughed and smiled right at me, like the one I had seen her have earlier when she had been looking at Frisk run around.

  “That wasn’t necessary.”

 It was getting warm in here. I could see her SOUL was softly burning, a steady flame in her chest. Oh crap, I shouldn’t have done that. I could feel my magic responding to my emotions, wrapping around her and holding her close, never wanting to let go. I liked seeing my magic on her, the way she reacted with serenity and warmth. Wait, what the hell am I thinking?!

 Think of something to say. Hurry!

  “i know.”

 Set her down. Don’t do anything weird. Just act normal.

 I maneuvered her and the box into the open van and moved the box to settle down with the others before ~~regretfully~~ letting her go as well. It took a second for my senses to come back to me, followed by the crazy bombardment of MK and Frisk begging to be lifted in the air too. Silly kiddos.

 And then it all fell apart with four simple words:

  “Well, isn’t this sweet?”

 My head shot up at the voice, momentarily glancing at (y/n), before shifting slightly in front of the kids. Ian didn’t deserve to even _see_ Frisk, or (y/n), for that matter. Now here he was, showing up like he deserved to be here and acting like a king. I wouldn’t mind knocking him down a few pegs…

  “So they were right…” he mumbled thoughtfully, taking in the van and boxes.

 ‘They’? Was he having people spy on (y/n)? Did that mean he was doing the same for Frisk? Disgusting. The mere thought of it had my magic spiking in defense mode, a few tendrils reaching out for (y/n) in a desperate need to keep her safe too.

 But, as the color of her SOUL suggested, she stood her ground and glared at the man with contempt, refusing to back down.

  “Leave.”

 Ian didn’t seem impressed and sneered, his cold eyes flickering over to me and the kids. I could feel Frisk gripping my hoodie, trying to stay hidden. If only I had figured out who the real villain was earlier and not automatically assumed it had been (y/n) all this time, things would have gone differently.

  “Or what?” Ian shot back. “You’ll sick your monster pet on me?”

 If he wanted to keep calling me that, I wouldn’t mind showing him that my teeth weren’t as blunt as they appeared. Maybe it would shut him up.

  “(Y/N)!”

 Uh oh. Undyne and my brother were back, and the former didn’t sound too happy to see our unwelcome guest.

  “Ah, more pets.”

 The way he said that, with such revulsion and anger, was only serving to piss me off. There were kids present, not to mention my bro. They didn’t need to hear anything that this guy spouted.

  “Papyrus, get Frisk and MK away. Kids, listen to Papyrus, understand?” (y/n) commanded, her voice calm, yet strict. Both kids did so without any hesitation. “Undyne- “

 Before she even completed the name, Undyne sprinted past me, red hair flying and magic already forming in her scaly hands.

  “I’M GONNA DESTROY YOU!”

 Everything within me froze as I watched the crazy fish make a leap for Ian, a sharp, glowing spear raised to aim, to _kill_ ; (y/n) shouting at her, then flashing into action and moving _right in the way of Undyne’s spear_. Ian was about flinch, his eyes wide as he took in the weapon that was intended for him. Several thoughts went through my head in a nanosecond:

 No.

 She was going to die.

 Her kid was watching.

 Undyne, you impulsive idiot.

 I need to do something.

 If only I had grabbed Undyne sooner.

 She was going to die.

 That spear was going right at her chest.

 How could she be so brave?

 She. Was going. To. DIE.

  **And it was all Ian’s fault.**

 

 I had just started to raise my hand, calling on my magic to do something. _Anything_. But then, by some awfully good luck or horribly close timing, Undyne was able to toss her spear aside and harmlessly tumbled into the woman. Ian stepped away and grimaced, unsettled at the close proximity of Undyne. Both females groaned, but finally got up, both bruised and a little worse for wear, but thankfully alive.

**But none of that would have just happened if Ian wasn’t here.**

  “Geez, you’re heavy…”

  “Well, if you hadn’t gotten in the way…” Undyne retorted.

  **Humans like Ian got away with everything.**

  “If I hadn’t, it would have been bad. I don’t want to have you end up in prison…or worse.”

  “Heh, at least you got some of your brain left in that empty head.” Ian laughed.

  **IT WAS ABOUT TIME HE GOT A TASTE OF HIS OWN MEDICINE.**

  “ **Y O U  J U S T  D O N ‘ T  K N O W  W H E N  T O  S T O P .** ”

 My magic was the one controlling my movements now, clouding my head with the need to protect. Stepping up beside (y/n) and Undyne, I let my magic bounce around the area, roaming for the source of rage. I could feel everyone’s emotions around me: Paps’ worry and love, Frisk and MK both equally terrified, Undyne’s anger (it didn’t rival mine in the least), (y/n)’s discomfort and motherly instinct to be a shield. She would always put her child before herself, with no hesitation.

  “Undyne, go and call the police.” she stated.

  “But- “

  “Now.” There was no room for argument.

 I felt the fish monster’s SOUL as she backed away, standing beside my brother to dial the cops. That left just me to stand with her against this human scum.

  “Don’t do anything, bonehead.” she said.  “We’ll just wait until police arrive and we can hurry up and get out of here.”

 That sounded nice. Then we could move (y/n) to Tori’s and never have to deal with Ian. My magic ebbed at the thought, evaporating like vapor.

  “Or we can make this easier.” Ian hissed.

 Then this pathetic man went and did something he would regret forever.

 He moved swiftly, confidently. His eyes narrowed as he revealed a shiny, new gun, his hand unwavering; this hadn’t been the first time he’d held a gun. The kids started crying and my shackles raised up once more, my magic following along. This moron was messing with the wrong family.

  “Ian.” How could she sound so _calm_?! I could literally _see_ her SOUL quivering at the sight of the human weapon. “Put the gun down.”

  “How’s about I give you orders this time? I let you decide who I should shoot: you or your monster pets?” Ian snapped, swinging it back and forth between my socket and (y/n)’s head.

  “Or you can quit throwing a temper tantrum and stop waving that around!”

 Oh no. Undyne, you stupid fish. Shut up before you make this worse.

  “Don’t make me have to get rid of you first, ya freak.” The gun was aimed in her direction in warning.

 A tense silence stuck to the moment, with everyone frozen in sick horror. And that’s when I knew enough was enough and something needed to be done. This man had stomped these two humans so many times and haunted them to this day.

 Well, not anymore.

  **TODAY, I WAS GOING TO FALL BACK INTO MY OLD ROLE OF _JUDGE_.**

  “ **Y O U ‘ R E  I N  F O R  A  B A D  T I M E .** ”


	34. Sans vs. Ian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally wrote this in a way I liked. I've been writing and writing and WRITING, but it finally came out right.
> 
> This is the battle I've been waiting for and I hope I did a decent job. This is just the first battle, though, so don't think this is the end.
> 
> Please read and enjoy~

 You move without thinking, grabbing Sans by the shoulder to tell him to stop, but then Ian is swinging the gun back around. Undyne gasps, Sans goes rigid under your hand, and you don’t even have time to scream as you watch Ian press the trigger and the bullet flies right for your head.

 Suddenly, everything changes, shifting before your eyes. You can’t see or hear or move, abruptly paralyzed where you stand. Had you already been shot? Where was the pain that followed afterwards? Did it kill you on impact or something? The thought makes you sick, thinking of Frisk and MK having to witness something so horrid.

 But then you feel a material shift beneath your hand, something worn and soft and warm. How were you still able to feel if you were dead? This didn’t make any sense.

 Then light and sound and everything else hammers back into you, momentarily blinding you as you felt your legs wobble from the change. What…the hell just happened? You blink a few times, trying to shake away the odd spell that just overcame you.

 And now someone was shaking you, yelling directly in your ear.

  “Come on, moron! Tell me you’re alright, damnit!”

 Undyne…?

  “UNDYNE, SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE IS GOING TO BE SICK! CEASE AND DESIST IMMMEDIATELY!”

 The shaking stops, but your senses are still wonky, like you had just gone through a blender. Why was your vision moving in a spiral?

 There’s a _crack_ , then a loud BANG! Undyne curses under her breath, but you still can’t seem to properly make out her face.

  “Wuz tha’ a…gunshot?” God, you can _not_ speak correctly right now.

  “Sans is kinda…battling against Ian.”

 …WHAT.

  “ _What?!_ ”

 There’s a loud buzzing sound now, almost like crackling electricity. Where is it coming from? You shake your head, willing the weird sensations to go away. You needed to stop Sans before he got hurt or did anything stupid. This time, your wish is granted, and the world comes back into focus.

 Paps is behind the moving van with the kids, bent down and wrapping them in his arms. Undyne and you are further away (how?), your back pressed against the tire of the vehicle. Undyne is wincing, sweating; she looks afraid.

 You push yourself upright and make your way closer to the sounds, peeking around the van and your stomach drops.

 Ian’s stance is strong, purposeful. The gun is held in front of him, wildly spinning around while cursing up a storm. He looks like a wild, caged animal, unwilling to step down. You could only stare, wondering how one man could be so stupid to stand up against what you were seeing.

 Sans.

 One flashing pupil.

 Blue magic.

 Disappearing and reappearing in rapid succession.

 And some sort of skull creature hovering above, its’ maw dropped open and revealing a mass of…you could only assume it to be magical energy of some sort.

 Ian shoots, the bullet headed at Sans, and your heart drops to join your stomach, waiting for it to connect, but it doesn’t. Sans is long gone before it even makes it halfway, then popping up behind Ian.

  “need to take a break, bud? ya look tired.” Sans taunts.

  “Stay still and fight me like a man, you freak!”

 You jump at the sound of the gun going off, but it fails to meet the intended target once again. Sans is smiling as he continues to evade the bullets, but it’s anything but a happy smile. Should you step in or let this play out?

  “Did you call…?” you choke out.

  “Yeah. Should be here soon.”

 It’s the blubbering cries of your child and MK that snaps you out of your shock, and you rush back over to envelope them, Papyrus included. Your balance goes sideways for a moment, but it doesn’t stop you from getting to them.

  “It’s going to be okay.” You stroke the top of their little heads, wincing at the sound of another gunshot. “It’ll be over soon, just close your eyes. We’ve got you.”

  “We need to get them away from here.” Undyne speaks up behind you.

 You glance over your shoulder at her. “How? If any of us make a run for it, Ian won’t hesitate to shoot. I won’t let any of you risk that.”

  “But- “

  “I’m not letting any of you wander out there. Ian is trigger-happy and would be more than eager to shoot any of us.”

  “SANS CANNOT DODGE FOREVER.” Papyrus sounds worried.

 That was true. Sans only had so much energy of his own, not to mention he was probably wasting a lot of magic with all the teleporting(?) he was doing. If Ian didn’t run out of bullets soon, things were going to go to high hell in seconds.

 You got to your feet, looking back around the van as much as you dared. Ian seemed to have taken out a knife now, holding the gun with his right and swinging the knife in his left. You could only spot Sans for a second before he vanished, but you could tell he was sweating and gritting his teeth, refusing to back down.

 Would this have happened between the two of you if he had attacked you the first few times you had met? Sure, he had made simple threats and showed you a few scary eye tricks, but he had never turned any magic towards you in an aggressive manner. You’re awfully glad he hadn’t, if this was the result. Angry Sans was not something you wanted to face against.

  “Quit moving, you little- “

 The gun went off again, making you flinch. He’s lucky no one is around, else that could have hit someone. This wasn’t looking good.

  “I need to get that gun away from him.”

  “WHAT?! Are you insane?!?” Undyne hisses.

  “Sans can’t keep this up much longer. You and Paps need to keep the kids safe. I have the element of surprise.” You gave her a look over your shoulder. “Got any better ideas?”

 She’s silent, her face passive and unreadable as she searches your face for something. Fear, perhaps? Whatever it was, she doesn’t find it and finally heaves out a groan.

  “I can see where Frisk gets it.” she mutters.

 You don’t wait for her to say any more. “Stay here. Run inside and lock the door if this goes south.”

 You’re on the move before she has a chance to say anything back, popping out from behind the van and heading right for Ian, whose back is turned as he tries to aim at Sans. Perfect opportunity.

 You run out into the open, trying to be sneaky, when a loud hum starts to echo around you, almost through you. Both you and Ian freeze as the humming sound increases in volume, the hair on your arms standing upright from the static that hung in the air. It takes you a second to realize it’s coming from the skull monster, where that ball of magic has grown to an enormous size. What was it doing?

 The thing rattles its’ jaw, as if in warning, before that energy ball grows brighter, stronger. You can feel a scream bubbling up your throat as it unleashes something akin to a laser-

  “ **N O .** ” Sans’ voice booms, like he’s speaking from a microphone. “ **S T A Y .** ”

 The creature snaps its’ mouth shut, the laser sucked back into its’ maw with a powerful crack. You let out a shaky breath, trying not to fall into a heap from that frightening experience. Would that laser have obliterated you on the spot or would it have been slow and meticulous in destroying your entire being? How did Sans even do that? You definitely needed to sit down and have a talk with him.

  “(y/n)!”

 You don’t really think when you hear the distressed call of your name, you simply act. Your feet spin you around, knowing Ian is right there. The gun brushes against your fingertips, cold and smooth, and make a grab for it. You hear a strange noise, like some heavy object dropping onto the ground, then recognize the glint of the Ian’s knife on the ground. Those eyes are staring you down as you both wrestle for the gun, hoping to pry it from the other’s hands. He’s stronger than you, sure, but he’s physically shaken from Sans’ display of power.

 BANG!

 You scream, releasing the weapon that Ian had just fired, heart pounding. Your legs drop out from underneath you, looking up at the cold gaze of your ex. Ian looks surprised for a moment, then raises the gun at you and pulls the trigger with a smirk.

 Click.

  “What-?”

 Click. Click click click.

  “What the hell?!”

  “outta bullets, buddy?” Sans is next to you, down on one knee. “’bout time.”

 Ian tosses the gun aside, letting it clatter on the cement, before scooping up the knife once more. His hair is swept out of place, his clothes dirty and ruffled; he looks insane.

  “I can’t believe you would be friends with these things. You let our kid near th- “

  “Don’t even think you have the right to call Frisk yours.” you snap without thinking.

 His mouth twists, but says nothing, idly flipping the sharp blade with one hand. Sans hasn’t even flinched, his head turned up at the man. Sans’ face is wiped of all expression, something that unsettles you.

  “Sa- “ you start to say, reaching for the skeleton’s shoulder.

  “ **I F  I  C O U L D ,  I  W O U L D  E N D  Y O U  R I G H T  N O W .** ” his deep voice roared out.

  “Sans, don’t- “ You try again.

  “ **I  K N O W .** ”

 His one blue pupil looks at you for only a split second, but it’s enough to send chills down your spine. But that exchange with him told you he wasn’t about to do the stupid thing, which was all you needed to know. The police could deal with this mess for all of you.

  “Heh. You’re all weak.” Ian commented, making a slashing motion with his knife. “You really think the police will keep me in handcuffs? Good luck with that.”

 Why did he sound so sure about that? Was that true?

 Sans snapped his fingers. The monstrous creature that had been hovering above, waiting for its’ master to command it, opened its’ mouth once more. A loud buzz emits from it, something you had heard earlier, your hair standing upright from the static that swept throughout the area.

  “Sans!” He had just said he wasn’t going to attack! “Stop!”

 He ignored you and kept his focus on Ian, whose eyes were glued to the creature above, frozen. But instead of a ball of magical energy shooting Ian into nothing, the thing just rushed forward and snapped its’ jaw, inches from the tip of Ian’s nose. Said male jumped back, a mixture of confusion and fear on his face.

  “listen to my advice here, buddy.” Sans got to his feet, hands in his pockets. “you try to do anything to (y/n) and frisk, or any monsters for that matter, you’re gonna wish i _had_ killed you. i don’t take kindly to guys like you and no number of weapons or people will stop me from coming and ripping you apart.” He paused to chuckle. “ **and you’d better believe i’ll take my sweet time doing it.** ”

 Ian was quiet, but put away the knife, his mouth set in a grim line. He took a step back, then another, as if wondering if Sans was going to stop him. A moment passed in which no one did anything and that was all he needed to know; without another glance back, he turned tail and ran. Sans didn’t move until he was gone from sight, one hand shooing his weird skull thing away. It did so, but in such an unnatural way that you could only describe it as glitching out of existence. He sighed and held out a hand for you to take.

  “Why did you let him go?” You grabbed his hand and let him pull you up. Your legs were like lead, dragging the rest of you down. You leaned against him but didn’t let up on your questioning. “The police are on their way, Sans. They would have taken care of it.”

 His regular white eyelights were back and looking over your body, but they went up to your face when you finished speaking.

  “let’s get you packed and head to tori’s.”

 Frustrated, you gripped the hood of his jacket. “You and I need to have a serious talk soon.”

 He was sweating. Good. He needed to stop hiding information from you, especially when it included you. Releasing his hoodie, you pushed away from him, stumbling slightly. He reached out, but you frowned at him and rightened yourself before walking away to make sure everyone else was okay in your group.

 Undyne was sitting on the ground with MK curled up in her arms, Papyrus and your child in a similar manner. Both children had stopped wailing, but the tears that stained their little faces were still painful to see.

  “Everyone okay?” you asked, keeping your voice soft.

  “Shaken, but we’re managing.” Undyne answered.

 Frisk let go of Paps to run to you and you didn’t hesitate to bend down with arms wide open, scooping them up into your embrace. Why was it that you couldn’t enjoy your life when everything threatened to rip the good from all you held dear? It was getting exhausting, having to expect the worst around the next corner. If only you hadn’t stayed with Ian as long as you did…

  “(y/n)…?” Papyrus speaking quietly is still strange on your ears. “Can we hurry up and go home?”

 You nodded. The quicker your stuff was stuffed into this van, the better everyone would be.

  “Once the police leave, we can get out of here.” you grimly concluded.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Close call, huh?
> 
> Sansy-boy, you need to quit clamming up.


	35. Hey guys

 Hey guys, I've been absent for a while and upon re-reading this, I find that I don't know if I like the way I wrote this. Not only did I mess up a lot of the plot (good job, me), but I also found some of it to be...off. 

 SO! This is how I'm gonna go about this: either I delete this and rewrite it at a later date ORRRR I continue it.

 

 This is all up to you, my readers, since I write this for people like you. 

 

 Thank you for those who gave me critique throughout this and for those who stayed and enjoyed. Now it's up to you on whether I keep this up or not. 

 

LET ME KNOW~


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